In Brief
SUV SHOOTER
Suspect remanded in custody, may be examined by expert A 31-year-old taxi owner accused of firing a gun at five people and injuring three in apparently random and motiveless attacks in Athens before Christmas was remanded in custody yesterday. The unnamed suspect faces charges of attempted murder and breaking firearms laws. However, his lawyers argued that the 31-year-old is not in a position to defend himself because of serious mental problems. They have asked the magistrate to allow the defendant to be examined by a psychologist and for him to be committed to a psychiatric clinic for treatment. A psychiatrist who has been treating the suspect for the last two years testified before the magistrate yesterday. DEADLY RAID Betting shop owner killed The owner of a PRO-PO betting shop in the eastern Athens suburb of Petroupoli died late yesterday after being shot during a robbery. Police said that two armed men entered the shop at about 9 p.m. and shot the unnamed victim in the leg and shoulder. They then grabbed an unspecified of money before leaving on foot. The shop owner was taken to Evangelismos Hospital but died from his injuries soon afterward. H1N1 virus Five more people died from swine flu in Greece on Tuesday, taking the total death toll from the H1N1 virus to 68. One of those who died, a 72-year-old man, did not have any underlying health problems. The others, two men aged 80 and 54 and two women aged 61 and 52, had a history of medical problems. Four other people, a 27-year-old pregnant woman, a 29-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man and a woman of 40 are being treated in intensive care units after contracting the virus. Drugs seizure A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Thessaloniki on suspicion of trying to sell substantial quantities of drugs in northern Greece. Police said they raided the unnamed suspect’s home yesterday and seized 15.5 kilos of hashish, 400 grams of heroin, 330 grams of cocaine and 23 LSD pills. Tram stop fire Firefighters were called early yesterday morning to put out a blaze next to the tram stop at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in southern Athens. The fire started when rubbish was set alight under a bridge near the stop. Firefighters were able to put out the blaze and the tram service was not affected. Bank robbery An armed robber held up a branch of the Bank of Cyprus in Thessaloniki yesterday. Police said the man walked into the bank, on the corner of Ikostis Ogdois Oktovriou and Megalou Alexandrou streets around noon. He and an accomplice made off on a motorcycle with an unspecified amount of cash.
