Denied bail, French man leaps to death
When a Cretan court told a Frenchman he would remain in custody before standing trial for trafficking in antiquities, he jumped out of the window, injuring himself so seriously that he later died of his injuries, Agence France-Presse reported on Saturday. The Merchant Marine Ministry said Piotr Niemkiewicz, a 48-year-old art restorer, was due to be transferred to prison by the court when he jumped out of the first-floor window. He had been arrested last Monday with his wife Magdalena on suspicion of trafficking in Greek antiquities in the town of Siteia after being found to be in possession of antiques and scuba-diving equipment. His wife was granted bail. French authorities only found out about Niemkiewitz’s death through reports in the Greek press, consular sources said, and were critical of the Greek police who they claimed often acted in such a manner with French suspects. (AFP)
