In Brief
CYPRUS DIVIDE
Papadopoulos and Talat fail to agree on meeting for reunification talks Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday turned down an invitation from Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to meet for talks and accused Nicosia of trying to manipulate the UN peace process to evade European Union pressure to allow direct trade with the occupied part of Cyprus. Papadopoulos had proposed to meet Talat after technical committees from the two sides begin talks aimed at reunifying the island. Talat rejected the proposal and called for immediate talks with Papadopoulos. Drive-by murder Man shot dead on Thessaloniki road A 40-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting in Thessaloniki yesterday in what police think was a gang-related incident. The unnamed Georgian national was shot more than 10 times on Georgikis Scholis Avenue as we was sitting in his car at a traffic light. Officers said that two men on a motorcycle approached the car and the passenger shot the 40-year-old. The victim had owned a restaurant in the city but was also linked to a recent shooting incident that left two people injured. Policeman critical The officer in charge of the Pyli police station in central Greece was in a serious condition in the hospital last night after apparently shooting himself, authorities said. The 51-year-old police captain, Christos Pantos, shot himself in the chest with his service revolver, according to a police statement, which did not give any further information. DEKA trial An Athens appeals court will resume a trial on March 29 of officials from the State Portfolio Management Agency (DEKA) who face charges of breach of faith, sources said yesterday. The officials have been accused of buying shares in large-capitalization companies in April 2000 for the purposes of maintaining high stock prices ahead of national elections. Forged residencies A foreign national was arrested in Omonia Square, central Athens, on Monday suspected of forging state documents used to obtain Greek residency. Police found in the unnamed suspect’s home a computer and printing equipment, a forged Dutch passport and Swiss residency documents. Food fines A food importer and 14 vendors from outdoor street markets have been fined for passing off imported Egyptian potatoes as local produce in order to gain higher profit margins, the Development Ministry said yesterday. Additionally, 10 Development Ministry market inspectors have been found to have acted in violation of their duties and will face disciplinary action.
