Fugitive, anarchists have been ‘in touch’
Police knew that fugitive robber Vassilis Palaiocostas, who has been on the run from authorities since breaking out of Korydallos Prison in February, had repeated contact with members of the anti-establishment before his escape, sources have told Kathimerini. While in prison, Palaiocostas often spoke on the phone to anti-establishment figures known to police. It has also emerged that a woman known to belong to the anti-establishment ranks and who operates a business in the central Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, obtained a document from a Citizen Service Center (KEP) confirming her claim that she was Palaiocostas’s fiancee, which gave her the right to visit him in prison. Sources said that Palaiocostas explained to her over the phone how he had ensured that he and Alket Rizai, the convicted murderer with whom he escaped, were placed in neighboring cells ahead of their breakout. Police also believe that Palaiocostas has been in touch with figures of the anarchist world since his release. Officers think that Polykarpos Georgiadis, a self-styled anarchist who was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of businessman Giorgos Mylonas last year, has acted as a link for Palaiocostas, who also allegedly masterminded the abduction. Palaiocostas narrowly evaded arrest earlier this month, when police stopped a car in western Attica before raiding a hideout allegedly used by him and Rizai. Meanwhile, Kathimerini understands that police have identified some of the individuals who were involved in the anarchist raid on shops in the central Athens district of Kolonaki last month thanks to CCTV images taken before they concealed their faces. However, sources have said that this evidence is not admissible in court due to privacy laws.
