In Brief
STUDENT CONVICTED
Woman, 21, gets jail term for striking policeman during rally A Thessaloniki court yesterday passed down a four-year jail sentence to a 21-year-old woman found guilty of attacking police during a demonstration in the northern city in September 2007. The woman, who will be able to pay off her sentence, was found guilty of throwing six firebombs and hitting a policeman on the head with a telescopic truncheon. The philosophy student denied her involvement in the riots, claiming to have been on her way to set up a protest banner outside a university building. She said she had the truncheon with her for self defense. Dodgy food Record hauls, most from China Prefectural inspectors at the port of Piraeus last year seized nearly 2,000 tons of food imports deemed to be unfit for human consumption, it was revealed yesterday. The quantity was described by authorities as «a record for the past six years and more than twice as much as in 2007.» More than 1,000 tons of the confiscated food was from China, followed by Argentina, Canada and Vietnam. Most of the blocked food was dry fruit and nuts, pulses, fresh fruit and coffee. Murder probe Police in Thessaloniki yesterday were investigating the killing of a 60-year-old man found dead in his apartment with his mouth gagged and his arms and legs bound. According to police, the perpetrator or perpetrators had probably been known to the victim as the apartment showed no signs of forced entry. Officers were called to the apartment by the victim’s female companion. Fugitive caught A 39-year-old Polish national on the run from his homeland, where he faces a string of criminal charges, was yesterday imprisoned in Korydallos Prison after being traced in Petroupolis, northwestern Athens, by Greek police. The detainee faces charges of theft, grievous bodily harm, extortion, forgery and the illegal production of alcoholic drinks. Migrants adrift Coast guard vessels yesterday were attempting to locate a boat, believed to be carrying illegal migrants, heading toward the island of Samos from neighboring Turkey as strong winds created dangerous conditions at sea. It was unclear how many migrants were aboard the vessel. Palaiocostas trial Captured fugitive Vassilis Palaiocostas and another 11 people yesterday faced trial in connection with the 42-year-old serial robber’s spectacular escape by helicopter from Korydallos Prison in June 2006. Palaiocostas, who has also been charged with the abduction of high-profile businessman Giorgos Mylonas last June, was arrested in Thessaloniki last August. ISAP disruption Services on the Athens-Piraeus electric railway (ISAP) will be suspended tomorrow between 10 a.m. and noon as staff stage a walkout in solidarity with Constantina Kuneva, a trade unionist representing Athens cleaners who was badly injured in an acid attack last month. The continuation of works on ISAP will lead to the closure of the Petralona, Thiseion and Monastiraki stations this weekend. Commuters will be able to use a bus replacement service.
