In Brief
Nikoloutsopoulos
Lawyer implicated in Zachopoulos scandal to appear before prosecutor Christos Nikoloutsopoulos, the lawyer implicated in the Zachopoulos scandal, discharged himself from the hospital yesterday and appeared before a prosecutor to declare himself ready to face questioning. Nikoloutsopoulos was given until March 14 to prepare his deposition. The lawyer had been undergoing treatment for depression since January but apparently took it upon himself to appear in court yesterday. Nikoloutsopoulos had accompanied former Culture Ministry employee Evi Tsekou to meetings with journalists, at which she allegedly told them about her affair with the ministry’s then general secretary Christos Zachopoulos. Trash pile-up Citizens asked to keep garbage off streets as 6-day walkout begins Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis yesterday appealed to citizens to refrain from dumping their trash in municipal bins until next Wednesday as garbage collectors begin a six-day strike. Municipal workers, who are striking all over Greece, are protesting proposed pension reforms which are expected to affect the size of their pensions and their retirement age. Giannakou recovery Ex-minister taken off life support Ex-Education Minister Marietta Giannkou was taken off a life-support machine yesterday but remains in critical condition, said doctors at the Henry Dunant Hospital in Athens. Giannakou has been in the hospital since last week after suffering a heart attack and undergoing two angioplasty operations. She has recovered from a persistent fever and has opened her eyes, doctors added. Just under a month ago, surgeons amputated her right leg to prevent the spread of an infection that developed following a fracture. Doc fest kicks off The annual Thessaloniki Documentary Festival opens tonight by honoring celebrated Greek-Cypriot director Michael Cacoyannis, famous for his screen adaptations of ancient dramas. In total, 158 movies will be shown during the increasingly popular 10-day festival that will also host numerous tributes, special guests and side events. (Page 7) Deadly fumes One man was killed and another two hospitalized after appearing to have breathed in fumes from a stove at the factory where they worked, east of Athens. Police said that the three men, all Indian nationals, had been sleeping in a room at the factory, on Varis-Koropiou Avenue, at which they were employed. A 28-year-old man was found dead and two others were taken to the hospital in an unconscious state. Authorities did not name the men. Traffickers caught Police yesterday detained two suspected human traffickers and 17 would-be migrants following a raid on an apartment in Ano Liosia, northwestern Athens, where the immigrants were being held. The ring members are believed to have smuggled the migrants by boat over the Evros River from Turkey before imprisoning them in the flat. The migrants, all Asians, told police they were forced to call relatives in their homelands to organize ransom payments for their release. Officers are seeking another five suspected ring members. Road measures Police said they will implement traffic measures over the upcoming long weekend to help with the expected increase in cars traveling on the country’s roads. Measures include the use of a police helicopter, more patrol cars and the redirection of traffic to help ease congestion. Monday is a public holiday. Gambling raid Police in the Peloponnesian town of Argos confiscated five illegal slot machines from two cafeterias, authorities said yesterday. The owner of each cafeteria was arrested and charges were expected to be laid later yesterday. Olympic qualification The Greek men’s water polo team yesterday secured its place at the Olympic Games in Beijing, thanks to its 8-6 victory over Russia in a pre-qualifying tournament in Romania. It is the 13th time that the Greek men’s water polo team has qualified for the Olympics. Greece’s women’s team also earned a place at the summer Games last month.
