In Brief
PRICE FREEZE
No rise in public transport tickets this year, not so in 2011 There will be no price rises on the public transportation system this year, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Dimitris Reppas said yesterday but he did not rule out the possibility of tickets going up next year. The minister did not hide the fact that the subsidization of public transport, which ranges from 50 to 70 percent of costs, would be reduced next year. Reppas would not commit to there not being price hikes on the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) network. «OSE has very low prices and there is no way that we can ignore that,» said Reppas. ROBBER IN BLACK Seisidis suing arresting officer A lawyer representing Symeon Seisidis, believed to be a member of the «robbers in black» gang, said yesterday that his client has sued the police officer who shot him in the leg before his arrest last week. Seisidis and an alleged accomplice were caught in central Athens shortly after an armed raid on a Praktiker hardware store. Seisidis insists that he had nothing to do with the robbery and that he was unjustly targeted. His lawyer, Costas Papadakis, claimed that Seisidis was shot from behind. Exam cheats As many as 21 people are to be prosecuted over an alleged International Baccalaureate scandal, the president of the Federation of Private School Teachers of Greece (OIELE), Michalis Kouroutos, claimed yesterday. An investigation was launched last year after it emerged that students at one of the 13 private colleges in Greece that offer the prestigious IB course had the exam questions before sitting an end-of-year test. Kouroutos claims that three teachers are among those being charged. OIELE has suggested that the true extent of the scandal is being covered up. Forest protection Budget cuts will be hitting Greece’s forest protection services, according to an announcement by the Environment Ministry yesterday. As part of its program for this summer, which was announced later than expected, the ministry will be hiring 766 seasonal staff on a three- or eight-month contracts at forestry and park ranger services. Firing canceled Supreme Court judges yesterday overturned the sacking of a man who was fired after demanding to be paid for extra work assigned by his employer. The judges found his termination to be a violation of labor laws. Mayor charged A Kavala court yesterday initiated proceedings against the mayor of the island of Thassos in the southeast Aegean for dereliction of duty. According to a report by public administration inspectors, Lefteris Veresis cost the municipality several thousand euros from 1999-2002 by hiring staff and awarding contracts for work or the supply and goods and services directly to companies rather than announcing tenders, without the approval of the municipal council. Voula murder Police in Athens are investigating the murder of a man whose body was found on a street in the southern suburb of Voula yesterday at 9 p.m. The man, who has not been identified, had been shot in the head and chest.
