In Brief
PROSECUTORS INDICTED
Judicial officials to face criminal charges for abuse of power A first instance prosecutor and a deputy appeals prosecutor will face criminal charges after a decision by the Supreme Court yesterday. Both unnamed officials are being charged in relation to time they spent working on Crete. They have both been charged with abuse of power. The deputy prosecutor has also been charged with money laundering in connection with the purchase of two properties. BRIDGE PLUNGE German tourist dies following 80-meter fall in Sfakia, Crete A 40-year-old German tourist died yesterday after falling from a bridge in Sfakia, Crete, police said. Officers said it was not immediately clear what had led to the man falling some 80 meters from the Aradaina bridge. The German’s body was recovered by rescue workers and police have launched an investigation into the incident. SAMARIA INJURY Austrian boy hurt by falling rock A 14-year-old Austrian boy was seriously injured on Crete yesterday when he was hit by a falling rock while walking through the Samaria Gorge, authorities said. Guards at the park were alerted to the incident and called an ambulance as the boy appeared to be unconscious. The teenager was taken to the hospital, where doctors said he was being treated for serious head injuries. Authorities said that two months ago a French man died after being injured by a falling rock at the same point. Subsidized ferry Passenger ferry Mirtidiotissa will start an additional route linking Piraeus and Kythera on Mondays, the Merchant Marine Ministry said yesterday. The government will subsidize the extra route, which already operates on Fridays and will run from July 10 to the end of October. The ferry company will also be required to offer Kythera and Antikythera residents free trips to Gytheion. Prefecture stoppage Staff at the prefectural offices of Athens, western Attica, eastern Attica and Piraeus will be on strike until 11 a.m. today. The employees are asking for the government not to make their working hours flexible and for staff at the prefectural offices to work a 35-hour week. Car chase Port officials arrested a 21-year-old man in Patras yesterday after finding 43 kilos of cannabis in his car, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The coast guard tried to stop his vehicle from boarding a ship because sniffer dogs indicated it might contain narcotics, but the driver sped off and a car chase followed. The car was stopped shortly afterward in a nearby street but an armed passenger managed to escape, authorities added. A coast guard officer was injured in the incident. Kiosk fire A kiosk in Hania, Crete, was burned yesterday by unknown men who tried to break into it. Five firefighters using two trucks managed to put out the blaze before it spread to a nearby apartment building. There were no reports of injuries. Shooter caught Police said yesterday that a 30-year-old man has been arrested in Athens for attempted murder. The suspect, an Albanian national, allegedly shot an employee of a nightclub on Syngrou Avenue last week. The employee had objected to the spot where the man had parked his car. Three other men who were also in the car are wanted for questioning by police. Online transport A new system which will allow commuters to log on to the Internet and work out the fastest route to travel to their destination by public transport will be ready in two years, local authorities in Athens said yesterday. The 3-million-euro project is being financed by the Society of Information program. The system will be continuously updated and will contain details about all modes of transport, including, road, rail, sea and air. Commuters will also be able to supply information about traffic problems such as transport holdups by text message or e-mail.
