In Brief
Crime suspects
Two inmates out on bail after denying ties to Gang of 16 A magistrate investigating the activities of the so-called «Gang of 16» yesterday heard the testimony of two inmates of Korydallos Prison who are believed to have had links with the ring thought to have kidnapped shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos in January. Boban Ricenski and Constantinos Andreou both denied any connection to the ring, which is believed to be behind several abductions and contract killings. The two men, who had been detained after police found large quantities of explosives in their possession in April, were granted conditional release. Tourist death Briton, 26, passes out on ferry A 26-year-old British woman who lost consciousness on a passenger ferry that had been en route to Piraeus yesterday was taken to a medical center on the Aegean island of Folegandros where she died under circumstances that remained unclear yesterday. The ferry stopped off at Folegandros after a member of the Super Jet’s crew found her unconscious in one of the toilets. She had been traveling with her husband. Student trial A 20-year-old British student of Cypriot origin is to face trial in Greece for the manslaughter of a British 18-year-old who died in a club on the Ionian island of Zakynthos in May 2007, the BBC reported yesterday. Andrew Symeou, who is from North London, is due to be extradited to Greece this week after the House of Lords refused to hear his extradition appeal. Symeou claims that the evidence linking him to the death of Jonathon Hiles has been fabricated. Hiles died of severe brain injuries believed to have been inflicted by punches to his head. Toxic waste Tons of toxic waste have been dumped on forestland on the island of Evia, Skai has discovered. According to the General Chemical State Laboratory, the waste was discharged by an aluminium-processing plant and poses a health and safety risk as it contains several toxic chemicals, including chromium as well as flammable substances that pose a serious fire risk during the summer months. Police exchange Three police officers from the Devon and Cornwall forces in southern England are visiting Zakynthos in an effort to exchange information and forge closer ties with their Greek counterparts, the British Embassy in Athens said yesterday. The visit comes as part of an initiative to improve cooperation between British and Greek authorities in a bid to reduce the amount of incidents involving UK tourists on holiday in Greece. House fire Firemen who visited a house in the Cretan prefecture of Hania yesterday morning following reports of a fire on the first floor of an apartment block discovered the charred remains of a 49-year-old woman in her bed. The woman’s husband and son had left the house in the morning, according to local police, who said they had found the door of the apartment locked. It is unclear what caused the blaze, though firemen said that it was likely that the mattress caught fire, possibly from a dropped cigarette.
