Crowd turns on Psomiadis
Pavlos Psomiadis, the president of the defunct Aspis Pronia life insurance firm, had to be escorted away from the capital’s main court complex by police yesterday after about 100 frustrated investors tried to lynch him ahead of his appearance before an investigating magistrate on fraud and money-laundering charges. As he arrived at the court, protesters showered Psomiadis with verbal abuse and pelted him with bitter oranges and cups of coffee. Two demonstrators pushed past police and punched him in the face. The protests continued as Psomiadis was testifying. At one point the magistrate emerged and was attacked by protesters who apparently mistook him for Psomiadis. Psomiadis’s testimony was cut short and he was escorted from the complex, again in a shower of bitter oranges and abuse. Arrested late on Tuesday, he is to resume his deposition today or tomorrow.
