Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-04-15

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Athens bourse plunges 5.0 pct in sell-off

[02] Greek Supreme Court validates claim of Greek Nazi victims vs. German state

[03] Press report: US envoy to offer 'formula' to Security Council over 'name dispute'

[04] Papandreou inaugurates NGO international conference in Athens

[05] Israel's Peres in Athens for event focusing on SE Europe, E. Mediterranean

[06] Simitis prepares policy statement

[07] Gov't dismisses criticism of foreign minister Papandreou

[08] Army to hire permanent staff for weapons systems

[09] Communists protest trial of protester against KFOR

[10] Greek Eurodeputy to attend women's conference in Istanbul

[11] Greek stocks plunge 5.29 percent

[12] Derivatives prices end sharply lower

[13] Bonds creep up in buy-oriented trade

[14] Drachma edges up vs euro, drops vs dollar

[15] Greek stocks lose 9.32 pct the "day after" the elections

[16] Bouncing checks and bills fall in March

[17] EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting to be held in Nicosia

[18] National Council 'will continue to seek a federal solution'

[19] Dukakis begins visit to Cyprus on Monday

[20] Israeli communications minister arrives in Cyprus on Sunday

[21] Bulgarian PM optimistic over final deal for telecom's sale

[22] FYROM business community request compensation from EU sanctions

[23] OTE says customers pleased with services

[24] State telecom subsidiary cuts Internet access rate

[25] Greece ranks sixth in lignite production, conference results show

[26] Preparations underway for Balkan info-tech forum

[27] Kurd sets fire to himself, dies on way to hospital

[28] Reverend Salamis looks back at 103 years of life in Canadian documentary

[29] Children's books by Greek authors draw attention in Italy

[30] Public hospital ward director charged with demanding money

[31] Burglaries ring reportedly cracked with suspect's arrest in local mayor's stolen car

[32] Four arrested in CD piracy scam

[33] The Athens dailies at a glance

[01] Athens bourse plunges 5.0 pct in sell-off

Equities on Friday shed more than 5.0 percent on the Athens Stock Exchange after institutional investors at home and abroad engaged in a selling spree.

The general index ended at 4,475.10 points, down 5.29 percent, but off the day's low of 4,368.84 points. Turnover rose to 196 billion drachmas.

The market had lost technical support following repeated concerted interventions before national elections on April 9, and fresh declines were likely in the short-term, share analysts said.

The Greek market appeared to be paying the cost of its transition from an emerging market to a mature one as foreign capital directed towards emerging markets left the Greek bourse in search of higher yields elsewhere, the analysts said.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas told reporters after the market's close that the bourse operated autonomously, governed by its own rules.

But he noted that the economy was steadily growing, its outlook was positive, and the country would enter the euro zone on target on January 1, 2001.

[02] Greek Supreme Court validates claim of Greek Nazi victims vs. German state

The German government said Friday it was reviewing a Greek Supreme Court decision that would require Berlin to pay compensation to relatives of victims of Nazi atrocities during World War II at the Distomo, central Greece, village massacre.

Government spokesman Bela Anda said the decision had been taken under advisement.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said it had not yet seen a copy of the ruling and could not comment.

The high court in Athens rejected Germany's argument that Greek courts do not have jurisdiction to try compensation claims.

The decision upheld a 1997 ruling by a lower Greek court that awarded roughly 30 million dollars to the relatives of 214 civilians executed by the Nazis in June 1944 at the village of Distomo.

Members of a Greek based non-governmental council requesting the reparations on Friday called the decision "historic", in a press release.

It added that "the time has come, at last, (for the Greek state) to activate and stand on the side of the victims of the Nazi atrocities and demand that Germany pay back the loan it secured from Greece during the occupation."

Lawyers in Greece said dozens of similar lawsuits were expected to follow. Germany had also argued that it settled its obligations in postwar reparations agreements.

But lawyers in the Distomo case claimed that German unification in 1990 allowed for the issue to be reopened. Greek lawyers have said they would probably go to a European court next if Germany ignores the Greek decision, as expected.

German President Johannes Rau said during a state visit to Greece this month that he hoped the issue could be settled out of court.

[03] Press report: US envoy to offer 'formula' to Security Council over 'name dispute'

Local media reports here this week claimed that Washington's special envoy in the name dispute between Greece and FYROM will propose to the UN Security Council that the "dispute has been solved", without however, detailing how it was resolved.

According to the weekly newspaper "Start", US envoy Matthew Nimits' alleged "formula" would allow the Skopje government to retain its constitutionally prescribed name, while the Greek government would not be obliged to recognise that name or such a resolution of the "name dispute".

Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have been locked in a dispute over the latter's name since the landlocked one-time Yugoslav republic declared independence in the early 1990s. Athens has long argued that the use of the name "Macedonia" by the neighbouring state is historically misleading as well as concealing irredentist designs on the adjoining northern Greek province -- known since antiquity as Macedonia. Only the name issue, however, remains to be settled between the two Balkans neighbours, as relations have dramatically improved since a September 1995 interim agreement.

The same article citing the reported Nimits "proposal" adds that such a development could lead to other repercussions, as "Greece may interpret such a decision as the UN's intention" of relieving itself of the dispute and transferring its resolution to the "bilateral level".

[04] Papandreou inaugurates NGO international conference in Athens

Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Friday inaugurated a two-day international conference on the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in supporting civil society in the Balkans.

The conference was organised within the framework of the Royaumont initiative of the European Union, while the Greek foreign ministry and the Institute of International Relations of Pantion University are participants and co-organisers.

Representatives of NGOs, diplomats, academics and Union officials are participating in the conference.

Papandreou, in his address, noted the importance of NGOs and civil society as part of the accession of Balkan countries to the European Union.

He reiterated that Greek foreign policy supports regional stability, cooperation and development in the region, stressing that citizens through their actions introduce a new kind of diplomacy, thus contributing to the formulation of foreign policy.

He underlined the importance of the Stability Pact and the logic of its principles and values, which allow for the peaceful coexistence of different peoples in the Balkans, as well as minorities within the different countries.

He reiterated the support of the foreign ministry for the promotion of cooperation with NGOs, stressing that the ministry has allocated 100 billion drachmas over a five-year period for the economic reconstruction of the Balkans.

[05] Israel's Peres in Athens for event focusing on SE Europe, E. Mediterranean

Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres will visit Athens this month to participate in a round-table discussion focusing on SE Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.

The current minister of regional cooperation in the Barak government will be in Greece from April 17 to 19 for the event, organised by the "Economist" magazine and entitled "Reconstruction, Development and Security in SE Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean".

According to a press release issued by the Israeli embassy in Athens, Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos, FM George Papandreou and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, among others, will receive Peres.

The visit marks the veteran Israeli leader's third to Greece over the last year and a half.

[06] Simitis prepares policy statement

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday met with the ministers of Development, Nikos Christodoulakis, of Labour and Social Security, Tasos Yiannitsis, and other aides in preparation for the new government's policy statement which he will read in Parliament on April 22.

A vote of confidence in the government is to follow on Monday, April 24. Sources say Simitis is to place emphasis on issues of health, education and employment. In a separate development, the previous government's justice minister, Evangelos Yiannopoulos, criticised the prime minister for holding an early election, saying the party went to the polls unprepared.

[07] Gov't dismisses criticism of foreign minister Papandreou

The government on Friday backed Foreign Minister George Papandreou against cricitism of weak leadership and of side-stepping the diplomatic corps by personal advisers.

"Mr. Papandreou's is a successful foreign minister and diplomats need nobody's support," said government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

He was responding to comments by former New Democracy prime ministrer Costas Mitsotakis, who said Papandreou's practice posed dangers for the country's foreign policy.

Reppas described Mistotakis's statement as petty-minded.

[08] Army to hire permanent staff for weapons systems

Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Apostolakis said on Friday that the creation of a standing army with staff of a five to ten year obligation would ensure the utilisation of modern weapons systems and allow for a gradual reduction in the term of national service for conscripts.

Speaking at ceremony for the handing of diplomas to new reserve officers in Irakleion, Crete, Apostolakis said the defence ministry's immediate priorities included the completion of the country's armaments program and the restructuring of the armed forces.

[09] Communists protest trial of protester against KFOR

Communist Party supporters on Friday held a protest rally in Katerini against the arrest and planned trial of a comrade who clashed with police in the nearby port of Litohoro during the disembarking of a NATO contingent destined for Kosovo (KFOR) earlier this week.

The protesters, who arrived on a convoy of cars from Thessaloniki, accused police of maltreating Zacharias Karakitsos, who is due to stand trial on Saturday for causing bodily harm, insubordination and violating the traffic code during the incident.

Both Karakitsos and a senior police officer were slightly injured during the incident.

[10] Greek Eurodeputy to attend women's conference in Istanbul

PASOK Eurodeputy and vice-president of the Women's Socialist International, Anna Karamanou, will participate in a conference in Istanbul on Saturday on "the role of women in politics in the 21st century".

Vice-President of Socialist International, Erdal Inonu, will be among the speakers at the conference, organised by the Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP).

[11] Greek stocks plunge 5.29 percent

Equity prices nearly collapsed on the last trading session of the week on the Athens Stock Exchange, hit by massive selling by foreign and domestic institutional investors.

Dealers said the market has lost all technical support, following several rounds of institutional interventions in the pre-election period, and predicted further substantial falls in the short-term.

Analysts, however, believe that the Greek market is hit by the cost of its transition from a developing market to a mature one as foreign capital - directed towards developing markets - was leaving the Greek bourse in search of higher yields elsewhere.

The general index ended at 4,475.10 points, down 5.29 percent, but off the day's lows of 4,368.84 points. Smaller capitalisation stocks were badly hit.

Turnover was an improved 196 billion drachmas. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 2,532.99 points, off 4.68 percent and the FTSE/ASE 40 index dropped 7.32 percent to 604.90 points.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended at 800.91 points, off 9.26 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 328 to 14. Hellenic Telecoms, National Bank, Commercial Bank and Alpha Credit Bank were the most heavily traded stocks.

[12] Derivatives prices end sharply lower

Derivatives prices plunged in brisk turnover on the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Friday following sharp losses in the two benchmark indices, FTSE/ASE 20 and FTSE/ASE 40.

A total of 4,113 futures contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 index, with a turnover of 15.9 billion drachmas. The April expiring contract ended at 2,480 points, the May at 2,500 and the June contract at 2,505 points.

A total of 1,812 futures contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 40 index, with a turnover of 4.4 billion drachmas. The April expiring contract ended at 596 points, the May at 593.50, the June at 596 and the September contract at 630 points.

[13] Bonds creep up in buy-oriented trade

Bond prices in the domestic secondary market edged up in light to moderate buy-oriented trade on Friday.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.10 percent from 6.12 percent a day earlier and 6.11 percent on Friday. The paper's yield spread over German bunds was 86 basis points against 90 basis points in the previous session, 89 basis points in the two trading days before that and 91 basis points on Monday. The spread widened to 89 basis points in shallow after-hours trade, spurred by jitters in markets abroad on higher than expected US inflation data.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 48 basis points from 36 billion drachmas in the two last sessions and 48 billion drachmas on Tuesday.

Of Friday's total, buy orders accounted for 44 billion drachmas of turnover

[14] Drachma edges up vs euro, drops vs dollar

The drachma on Friday gained slightly on the euro and fell against the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market. The Bank of Greece did not intervene.

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 335.010 drachmas from 335.070 drachmas a day earlier and 334.900 drachmas on Wednesday.

Also at the fixing, the US dollar was set at 350.700 drachmas from 350.070 drachmas in the previous session and 349.810 drachmas on Wednesday.

[15] Greek stocks lose 9.32 pct the "day after" the elections

Greek stocks lost almost 10 percent of their value in the week after Sunday's general elections, disappointing hopes of a recovery in the market in the post-election period. The market plunged in the last two sessions of the week as confidence in the market deteriorated dramatically following a decision by foreign institutional investors to liquidate positions in the Greek bourse, a move that badly hit blue chip stocks. Analysts said the market suffered from a serious lack of confidence and that they were trying to find the necessary moves to change the current negative climate.

A rapid fall in interest rates could change the climate, some analysts argued. Market sentiment was hit by forecasts of a slowdown in banks' profitability and foreign investors' comments that the Greek market was overpriced despite its sharp correction in the first three months of the year.

The general index ended the week 9.32 percent lower. Turnover totalled 748.446 billion drachmas in the week, for a daily average of 149.689 billion, down from 154.4 billion the previous week.

[16] Bouncing checks and bills fall in March

Bouncing checks and bills fell in March, both in volume and value, compared with the same months last year, Hellenic Banks Association said on Friday. Bouncing bills totalled 27,149 in March, worth 7.95 billion drachmas, for a drop of 13.52 percent and 4.29 percent respectively compared with March 1999. Bouncing checks totalled 7,919 worth 22.51 billion drachmas, down 32.12 and 5.80 percent, respectively.

Payment orders totalled 7,633 in March, down 28.06 percent, while bankruptcy applications eased to 204 from 267 over the same period. Bankruptcies also fell to 43 in March from 126 the same month last year. The volume of bouncing checks and bills fell 12.80 percent in the first quarter of 2000, worth 105.113 billion drachmas, down 11.25 percent of the same period in 1999.

[17] EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting to be held in Nicosia

The political situation in Cyprus and the Republic's accession accession course will be among the issues to be discussed during a two-day meeting of the European Union-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee, to be held in Nicosia on Monday and Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and representatives of the Portuguese EU rotating presidency will address the meeting. Issues concerning recent developments on the Akamas peninsula relating to the protection of the Environment and the protection of Cyprus' cultural heritage will also be addressed.

Chief negotiator for Cyprus' accession to the EU George Vassiliou, Chief negotiator for EU Leopold Maurer and member of the negotiating team of the European Commission for Cyprus James Pond will participate in the deliberations. At the end of the meeting, Committee co-chairpersons Mechtild Rothe and Tassos Papadopoulos will hold a joint press conference to present the outcome of the discussions. On Sunday, Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Cyprus Donato Giovanni Chiarini will brief the European parliamentarians in the presence of the EU Ambassadors in Cyprus.

[18] National Council 'will continue to seek a federal solution'

The National Council, the top advisory body to the President of the Republic on the Cyprus problem, reaffirmed on Friday, through government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, that it will continue to seek a federal solution, based on the high level agreements of 1977 and 1979 and within the framework set out by UN Security Council resolutions.

Papapetrou said that this solution must safeguard human rights and must comply with the acquis communautaire, adding that the National Council made preparations on how to handle developments in the Cyprus problem.

The government spokesman said that, during the meeting, President Glafcos Clerides elaborated on "his latest meetings and contacts" with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, US Presidential Emissary Alfred Moses, and British Special Representative Sir David Hannay.

The president and the leaders and representatives of parliamentary parties, participating in the National Council, "exchanged views and made preparations" on how to handle developments in the Cyprus problem.

On behalf of the National Council, Papapetrou said that the advisory body to the president "will continue to seek a federal solution, based on the high level agreements of 1977 and 1979 and within the framework set out by UN Security Council resolutions", which provide for a bizonal, bicommunal federation. "This solution", he said, "must safeguard human rights and must comply with the acquis communautaire". Responding to questions, Papapetrou said that "the political position of the National Council is crystal clear and is expressed in such a way, that is aimed at political calmness at a crucial point for the handling of the Cyprus problem". Papapetrou reaffirmed that "the National Council has not altered its approach in relation to its unanimous decisions and proposals".

Invited to elaborate on the meaning of "preparation", Papapetrou said "it means the full preparation of our side (Greek Cypriot) on all aspects (of the Cyprus problem) and so that we are as effective as possible in our effort to open the way for a solution to the Cyprus problem".

He also said that Sir David would be in Cyprus on May 5, and de Soto on May 8, and that then "our side will have a more complete briefing".

Papapetrou noted that the Greek Cypriot side would expect an "official briefing on efforts by various diplomats to upgrade the dialogue" before it makes any statement.

UN-led proximity talks on the Cyprus problem are underway, with a third round scheduled to begin on May 23 in New York.

[19] Dukakis begins visit to Cyprus on Monday

Former Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, arrives in Cyprus on April 17 for a four-day visit, during which he will be received by President Glafcos Clerides and will meet with House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou and Archbishop Chrysostomos, among others. During his stay, Dukakis will also meet with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Cyprus' Chief Negotiator for accession to the European Union George Vassiliou, US Ambassador to Cyprus Donald Bandler, and Nicosia Mayor Lellos Demetriades.

He will give a lecture at the University of Cyprus on "The USA and Cyprus: Where do we go from here".

Dukakis departs from Cyprus for Rome on April 20.

[20] Israeli communications minister arrives in Cyprus on Sunday

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Communications of Israel Benjamin Men-Eliezer arrives in Cyprus on Sunday for a two-day visit.

On Monday, Eliezer will be received by President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides and later on by House President Spyros Kyprianou. Eliezer will also meet with Mayor of Nicosia Lellos Demetriades and the President of the Board of Directors of Cyprus Telecommunications Authority.

On Monday afternoon, Eliezer will hold meetings with the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the President of the Federation of Employers and Industrialists.

The Israeli official will meet members of the Business Association of Cyprus-Israel and hold talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Communications and Works Minister Averof Neophytou. Eliezer leaves Cyprus on Monday evening.

[21] Bulgarian PM optimistic over final deal for telecom's sale

A successful conclusion to the long-delayed sale of Bulgaria's state-owned telecom to a Greek-Dutch consortium is apparently at hand, press reports here stated on Friday.

Bulgarian PM Ivan Kostov was quoted by the Sofia daily "24 Hours" as saying negotiations over the sale of BTC to the OTE/KPN consortium were almost finalised. He also detailed the procedures governing the lengthy negotiations.

Bulgaria's cabinet this week approved recommendations made by a working group on the terms of a long-delayed BTC privatisation, the transport and communications minister said on Thursday.

The recommendations cover proposals made in the latest stages of negotiations with BTC's prospective buyer -- the consortium comprising Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation with KPN telecom of the Netherlands.

The two firms were the sole bidder in an international privatisation tender whose resolution has been severely delayed by disagreements with Sofia over terms of the sale contract. Talks began in March 1999. Endorsement of the working group's recommendations effectively gives the green light to officials of both sides to finalise the main sale agreement and accompanying documents, the head of the government's working group told reporters.

[22] FYROM business community request compensation from EU sanctions

FYROM's business community this week condemned recent European Union sanctions against several major Yugoslav firms, saying the sanctions will drastically affect them as well.

The EU slapped sanctions against certain large Yugoslav companies considered as having close ties with the embattled Milosevic regime. However, several entrepreneurs in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have petitioned the Skopje government to either seek compensation from the 15-member bloc due to damages emanating from the sanctions, or simply not implement Brussels' edict. In any case, circles in the FYROM capital estimate that a "black market trade" will mushroom between the two neighbouring states if sanctions are, indeed, implemented.

A Yugoslav automaker along with other industries, including a pharmaceutical manufacturer, have co-production agreements with related FYROM companies, while two Yugoslav banks also operate in the landlocked state to Greece's immediate north. FYROM Commerce Minister Miliana Danevska recently emphasized, in fact, that the economies of both countries are "complementary".

[23] OTE says customers pleased with services

Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) said on Friday a survey it conducted showed that customers were pleased overall with the state telecom's products and services.

The survey by telephone, covering households and businesses, was carried out in 1999, OTE said in a statement.

It said that 61 percent of household customers said they were very satisfied with services, giving the telecom a lead of 10 percentage points over other public corporations.

Ninety percent of respondents agreed that OTE was undergoing a continuous process of modernisation.

Eighty one percent were very satisfied with the company's directory enquiries service on 131.

Ninety nine percent very satisfied with performance by staff.

Another point to emerge was that customers made little use of products and services offered through OTE's digital facilities. Most household customers polled made no use of them at all, the statement said.

[24] State telecom subsidiary cuts Internet access rate

OTEnet a subsidiary of the state-run telecom, on Friday announced reduced Internet access rates for new subscriptions and renewals made by May 8.

Monthly subscription rates will fall to 25,540 drachmas from 31,800 drachmas, VAT included. (One US dollar equals around 350 drachmas)

The yearly subscription rate drops to 48,000 drachmas from 60,000. New rates also apply to clients renewing their contracts before May 8.

The move will undoubtedly be welcomed by "Net surfers" and "cyber-active" businesses in Greece, as the country sports some of the highest costs for Internet-related services in the European Union. Besides OTEnet, private sector Forthnet, Hellas-on-Line and Compulink are among the biggest Internet access providers in Greece.

Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation, OTEnet's parent, is a heavily traded stock on the Athens bourse.

[25] Greece ranks sixth in lignite production, conference results show

Greece ranks sixth among lignite producing countries of the world, and produces six per cent of world lignite production, while the country's electricity production depends by 70 per cent on this type of carbon mineral, according to results of a conference organised by ENECS, a European miners' union.

The union, which represents 3.5 million miners from around Europe, organised the conference in Ptolemaida, northwestern Greece, centre to Greece's lignite and electricity production.

Greece's reserves in lignite total almost 2.7 billion tons and are expected to last for the next 50 years, GENOP/DEH Greece's national producer President N. Exarhos said during his address.

He added that the high lignite dependency of Greece began with the oil crisis of the 70's.

[26] Preparations underway for Balkan info-tech forum

The organising committee of a Balkan information technology forum to be held in this northern port city set up five working groups to prepare for the meeting, officials said on Friday. The forum is being held by the Association of Northern Greek Information Technology Enterprises on June 9-10.

The aim of the forum is to bring together interested parties in southeastern Europe in order to boost their capacities and coordinate activities. The working groups are composed of representatives from 12 countries in the region.

[27] Kurd sets fire to himself, dies on way to hospital

An unidentified Kurd set fire to himself on Friday afternoon in the Athens district of Kolonos and died on the way to hospital.

The incident took place in the compound of Aghios Aimilianos church. The man had drenched himself with fuel and then set himself ablaze. An ambulance rushed to the scene but it was too late to save his life.

According to reports, the man was carrying a photograph of Kurd rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

[28] Reverend Salamis looks back at 103 years of life in Canadian documentary

Documentary film director Stavros Stavridis' "The man of the century: The story of Reverend Salamis" will air on Wednesday on the US based "History Channel" as part of a series on immigrants in Canada.

The film, part of the series "Scattered seeds - The history of Canada", is trailing the 103 years of Reverend Nicholaos Salamis, meanwhile telling the story of the Greek immigrant community in Canada.

Father Salamis was born in 1897 and emigrated to Montreal, Canada where he served the Greek community as its Greek Orthodox priest for more than 50 years, meanwhile experiencing and participating in the community's growth phases.

[29] Children's books by Greek authors draw attention in Italy

More than 3,500 businesspeople visited the International Exhibition of Children's Books that took place in Bologna, Italy between March 29 and April 1st.

Situated at a central point, the 60 sq. metre Greek stand attracted a great deal of attention from Germany, Israel, Turkey and others, as it displayed works by 350 Greek authors.

About 1,445 publishers from 81 countries participated in the exhibition

[30] Public hospital ward director charged with demanding money

The director of a greater Athens area public hospital department has been charged with demanding money from the family of a patient.

According to reports, Dr. Iraklis Papageorgiou, 60, the director of the Tzaneion Hospital gynecology ward, was arrested on charges of demanding and accepting 250,000 drachmas in marked banknotes.

Family members had filed a complaint with police, reports state.

[31] Burglaries ring reportedly cracked with suspect's arrest in local mayor's stolen car

Police arrested a 20-year-old Albanian national on multiple burglary charges on Thursday evening as the suspect was driving a stolen vehicle belonging to the mayor of an east Attica township.

Authorities said the man is suspected of breaking into some 50 residences in the greater eastern Attica region and certain upscale northern Athens neighbouring over the past year. Another two suspects, identified also as Albanian nationals, are being sought in connection with the burglaries.

Stolen goods, including jewellery, clothing and cash, reportedly totalled more than 50 million drachmas.

The suspect was identified as Arzan Galiali. The stolen vehicle belonged to the mayor of Oropos, a small seaside town.

[32] Four arrested in CD piracy scam

Four people, including two Nigerians and a Sierra Leone national, were arrested in Athens on charges of manufacturing and selling bootleg compact discs (CDs), police said Friday.

Police said 38-year-old merchant Athanasios Lazarou was charged with violating the law on intellectual property and with forgery.

They said Nigerian nationals Noafor Onieka, 27, and Ogboe Festus, 33, and Sierra Leone national Noeb Colins, 34, all street vendors, were charged with complicity.

Police, acting on a tip-off, raided an apartment in the Aghia Varvara suburb of Athens on Thursday and discovered a clandestine CD reproduction studio. Studio owner Lazarou and the three vendors, who had gone to the studio to buy bootleg CDs to sell on the streets of Athens, were all arrested in the raid.

Police also confiscated 11,349 bootleg CDs of Greek and foreign artists.

The pirate CDs were turned over to the legal representative of the Union of Greek Producers and Recording Artists, which filed a lawsuit against the detainees.

[33] The Athens dailies at a glance

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS (Rizos): "The CD-Rom and the procurements did me in - Heavy accusations by Gerassimos Arsenis about his non-reappointment as education ministers".

AKROPOLIS: "50 being ousted - General secretaries, governors and presidents of DEKO public utilities and organisations".

APOGEVMATINI: "10,900 students being left out - Explosive decision in Arsenis' dossier (of education ministry issues he turned over to the new minister Petros Efthymiou)".

ATHINAIKI: "The government at the 'limit down' - The Athens bourse just 'voted'".

AVGHI: "The ministers are searching for the...reforms - The pledges of social policy being passed on to the policy statements".

AVRIANI: "Work for the unemployed and radical restructuring of the ESY national health system - Stric orders with specific timetable given by Simitis".

CHORA: "Bombs! 'Chora', which first revealed the vote-tampering, is being vindicated".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "PASOK took office, and New Democracy losing its arrogance and taking back its charges of vote tampering".

ELEFTHEROS: "They were dripping venom - Arsenis, Venizelos messages to Simitis".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Double blow from Venizelos-Arsenis - The former education minister openly accused the vested interests".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "With humour, but also insinuations - Simitis: It was a happy meeting (the first Cabinet meeting after the new government was sworn in), but now it's time to get to work".

ESTIA: "The 397,304 voters registered twice - Old phenomenon seeks explanations".

ETHNOS: "The first seven steps - The priorities in the new government's action plan".

EXOUSIA: "Arsenis bomb in his successor's hands".

KATHIMERINI: "Reformists or administrators - The 'kamikazi' ministers of the structural changes assumed their posts with awe".

LOGOS: "Simitis' Greece high - The new Cabinet was sworn-in and held its first meeting yesterday (Thursday)".

NIKI: "The new government has commenced work, but with barbs from the former ministers".

RIZOSPASTIS: "The workers' May Day on May 7", as May 1 falls the day after Easter Sunday this year.

STO KARFI: "Simitis ultimatum: I want 'goals', otherwise, there will be no 'bleachers'".

TA NEA: "Simitis' wager with the new government - The selections will be judged by the results".

TO VIMA: "There will be reactions, but the government will forge ahead".

VRADYNI: "Mammoth vote-tampering - They finally woke up in ND".

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