Loansharking doctor hooked
A 38-year-old doctor has been arrested in Nikaia, western Athens, accused of extortion and lending money to two businessmen at annual interest rates of up to 133 percent, police said yesterday. The first victim, the owner of an earthmoving equipment business, borrowed 40,000 euros from the suspect in June last year. The suspect made his customer sign a legal agreement stating that he owed him 57,200 euros while also inserting a power of sale clause in a property deed for a vacant piece of land on the island of Antiparos. However, the victim reported the incident to police after falling behind in his payments and receiving threats that the property would be sold to meet the loan payments. The second businessman, who was a friend of the first victim, allegedly borrowed 14,000 euros from the alleged loan shark but was required to repay nearly 30,000 euros.
