In Brief
Arson attacks
Sledgehammers, firebombs used in hit on furniture store Vandals early yesterday destroyed a furniture store in the northeastern district of Halandri and a bank facade in the coastal resort of Alimos without causing any injuries. According to firemen who put out the blaze at the furniture store, the facade of the premises had been smashed up by youngsters wielding sledgehammers before gas canister and petrol bombs were used to torch the site. Gas canister bombs were also used in an attack on a branch of Aspis Bank in Alimos in the early hours. Frigate ‘safe’ Navy rebuffs reports of blast Naval authorities yesterday refuted press reports that there had been an explosion aboard Greece’s frigate Psara which has been conducting patrols off the coast off the pirate-infested coast of Somalia. In its statement, naval officials note that there had been no explosion and that the safety of sailors aboard the Psara had not been put at risk. Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported that three cargo ships, including one Greek-owned vessel, had come under attack by pirates off Somalia. According to AP’s report, pirates opened fire on the unnamed Greek carrier which managed to evade the assault. Hospital raid Police yesterday were seeking two armed robbers who held up a branch of Piraeus Bank located on the premises of the Laiko Hospital in central Athens and fled with 15,000 euros without causing any injuries. At least one of the two gunmen fired into the air as a warning while inside the branch, according to witnesses. Couple murdered An 81-year-old man and his 63-year-old wife were found dead yesterday morning at their home in the southern Athens district of Dafni. It appears that the couple had been stabbed to death, according to police who said that the intruders’ motive had probably been robbery. Cabbie mugged Two assailants threatened a taxi driver in Thessaloniki with knives early yesterday and robbed him of 150 euros and his cell phone. The robbers fled without harming the driver, who contacted police immediately after the mugging. Fatal passion Police in Athens yesterday charged a 44-year-old Albanian man with the murder of his 37-year-old wife, whose charred remains were discovered in the couple’s home at Megara, west of Athens, last Tuesday. According to police, the suspect used a wooden stick to beat his wife’s head until she died before he set the apartment on fire. The 44-year-old is said to have been intensely jealous.
