MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (09/08/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, August 9, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] TURKISH ARMY TO OPEN FIRE AT ANY BIKER WHO CROSSES DEMARCATION LINE

The turkish military forces deployed in the occupied section of Cyprus have been instructed to open fire at anyone who crosses over the island's demarcation line, during the rally of the "live free, drive free" bikers convoy, made up of several hundred motorcyclists from Europe.

While the occupying regime's leader Rauf Denktash had issued this statement earlier this week, the self-called "foreign minister" of the pseudostate Atai Ahmet Rasit reiterated the threat today and supported that any violation of the "borders" will constitute a threat for the island's peace and stability.

Moreover, Rasit claimed that the bikers' convoy is instigated by the cypriot government, which, he added, will bear the responsibility of any unwanted results.

Meanwhile, the Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and Cypriot Defense Minister Kostas Heliades will be at the Police Headquarters on Sunday, the day of the convoy's arrival, and will observe the rally's process.

Cypriot police and the National Guard will be placed on alert, while a specific supervisory plan will also be enforced. Also, all of Nicosia's, Larnaca's and Paralimnios' hospitals will be on a stand by.

The Cypriot and European mortorcyclists who are participating in this convoy, which began in Berlin and will lead to occypied Derinia, are already aboard the ship transporting them to Lemessos, where they are expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

[02] PRESIDENT OF GREECE VISITS EARTHQUAKE-STRICKEN TOWN OF KONITSA

The President of Greece Konstantinos Stephanopoulos is visiting the earthquake-stricken town of Konitsa, 300 kilometers west of Thessaloniki, accompanied by Minister of Culture Stavros Benos.

The undersecretary of Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Manolis Loukakis has also arrived at the premises, while the Ioannina Prefecture's repair units are assessing the damages caused by Tuesday morning's tremor that measured 5.6 on the Richter scale. According to up-to-date estimates, more than 270 houses have been condemned.

[03] GRUESOME MURDER SHOCKS GREECE, 24-YEAR-OLD KILLS FIVE IN HIS FAMILY

A 24-year-old law school student, Theofilos Sehidis of Thasos, confessed yesterday to killing his parents, sister, grandmother and uncle and, after dismembering their bodies, burying them near the city of Kavala.

This morning, local police discovered the headless corpse of Sehidis' uncle Vassilis in Thasos' ancient theater, within a short distance from the victim's house. Sehidis led police to the city dump where he buried the remains of his five relatives' dismembered bodies.

He told police that he had murdered each one separately over a period of five days, starting with his uncle and ending with his sister. After each murder, he hacked the body with a saw and placed the parts in black garbage bags. After transporting the bags with the ferryboat from Thasos to the port of Kavala, having to make several trips back and forth, Sehidis buried them in the nearby dump.

The Sehidis family had been reported missing two months ago, by Vassilis' wife who lives in Belgium. The uncle had come to Greece to visit his brother, Sehidis' father.

Sehidis had been arrested on July 21 by Kavala police after illegal firearms were found in his car during a routine seach. During his arraingment by a local court, he received a 10-month suspended sentence and was released.

Investigations are continuing as forensic teams are excavating the dump to corroborate Sehidis' confession.

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