NEWS

In Brief

INVESTIGATION ORDERED

Competition Commission to look into delay over hacker report The Competition Commission has ordered an investigation into why its president, Spyros Zissimopoulos, was informed about hackers breaking into its computer system almost a day after staff had detected the crime had taken place. Sources said that the staff realized that a hacker had entered the system and destroyed some files on Wednesday at about midday but did not inform the president until Thursday morning. Commission officials have confirmed that backups of all files exist. POLICE FINED Use of cameras breaches Council of State decision The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (APPD) fined the police force 3,000 euros yesterday for illegal use of closed circuit cameras (CCTV). In August, the Council of State ruled that CCTV cameras, installed as part of security during the Olympic Games, can only be used to monitor traffic and not people or buildings. APPD said that after a spot check on May 12 and 14, they found 13 cameras were being used in areas where they should have been switched off. Police responded by saying that the equipment had stopped being used for operational purposes since July. OLYMPIC AIRLINES Amendment extends protection The government yesterday submitted an amendment to a draft bill in parliament, extending the temporary protection given to ailing state carrier Olympic Airlines from its creditors. The protection, initially enacted in September 2005, was due to expire at the end of the month leaving the long troubled carrier open to more financial and legal problems. Based on the amendment, Olympic Airlines, Olympic Airways Services and Olympic Airways have been granted protection from creditors until October 31, 2007. (Reuters) Traffic disruption Traffic will be disrupted in central Athens today as several anti-war rallies get under way. The two major rallies are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Syntagma and outside the entrance to Athens University on Panepistimiou Street. Police have appealed to motorists to avoid the city center. Bus and trolley routes will be subject to changes. The Syntagma rally, organized by the Greek Social Forum, is to feature a speech by composer Mikis Theodorakis. And the Panepistimiou rally, organized by the Stop the War Coalition, will be followed by a concert featuring major artists such as Maria Farandouri. Dealers caught A 43-year-old Greek man and his 24-year-old Russian girlfriend attempted to smuggle 4.6 kilos of cannabis into the country from Holland by hiding it inside an electric oven, drug squad officers said yesterday. The pair, who were not named, allegedly arranged for a logistics firm to ship the oven to Greece. They were arrested when they turned up to collect the appliance and now face smuggling charges. Meanwhile, police in Thessaloniki detained a 15-year-old Roma girl who has allegedly admitted to acting as a «middle man» between an Albanian heroin dealer and the latter’s clients. The girl’s mother was also arrested. Road fatalities There was an 11.2 percent increase in the number of road fatalities recorded this July compared to July 2005, the National Statistics Service (NSS) said yesterday. Specifically, 179 people died, 224 were seriously injured and 1,843 suffered minor injuries this July, the agency said. NSS recorded a total of 900 deaths and 1,144 serious injuries on the country’s roads between January and July of this year. Hashish trade A 21-year-old man was arrested in Thessaloniki yesterday accused of selling narcotics from his father’s gymnasium business, police said. The suspect, who was not identified, was allegedly caught selling small quantities of hashish at the gym, where he met up with buyers. Following a search of his home, police found 3.5 kilos of hashish and 560 euros in cash.

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