Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-08-14

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] DISCREPANCIES IN XEROS' TESTIMONY

[02] GREEK AID TO RUSSIA-CZECH REPUBLIC

[03] GIOTOPOULOS ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY ON FRIDAY

[04] INVESTIGATIONS TO FIND GUN OWNER

[05] PAKISTANIS FILMING AIR FORCE BASE ARRESTED

[06] BUSH CONGRATULATES SIMITIS ON TERRORISM

[01] DISCREPANCIES IN XEROS' TESTIMONY

There is new evidence, blanks and discrepancies, according to information, in what Savvas Xeros testified before the Special Examining Judge on Sunday, when compared to his preliminary statement.

The most serious differentiation concerns the Saunders shooting. Two days ago he confessed to shooting the British military attaché with his 45mm, when the G-3 Dimitris Koufontinas was going to shoot him with jammed. However, in his preliminary testimony he had said that Saunders was killed with the gun held by Koufontinas.

Also, during his preliminary examination on July 20, Savvas Xeros had denied participating in the Paleokrassas attempted murder, while now he confessed being present when the rocket was fired and characteristically mentioned that Koufontinas pulled the trigger.

During his preliminary statement, Xeros did not specify who shot Pavlos Bakoyannis, while he has now stated it was once more Dimitris Koufontinas.

In total, he has given three preliminary statements to DA Ioannis Diotis and the Head of the Counter Terrorism Service, lieutenant General Stelios Syros.

What he has however remained constant about is that Lambros ordered the hits and that Alisia Romero Cortes and Aggeliki Sotiropoulou had absolutely nothing to do with the organization.

[02] GREEK AID TO RUSSIA-CZECH REPUBLIC

Greece will offer humanitarian aid worth $150 million to Russia, after the decision of deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos, in order to deal with the problems created by the recent floods directly.

Mr. Loverdos also notified the Czech Ambassador that Greece is ready to send humanitarian aid and rescue teams to the Czech Republic, which has also been struck by floods.

The Czech Ambassador thanked the deputy Minister and pointed out that Greece is the first European country to offer assistance.

[03] GIOTOPOULOS ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY ON FRIDAY

On Friday, the suspected leader of "November 17", Alexandros Giotopoulos, will make an additional testimony, after the statements of Savvas Xeros which was a catapult for the organizations' "Lambros".

Despite the holes in Xeros' additional testimony, what he stuck by in both cases was that Giotopoulos decided on all the organization's targets.

Following the additional statement of Savvas' Xeros and the new information expected from Giotopoulos' additional testimony, further charges are expected against the suspected leader of N17.

Meanwhile Alexandros Giotopoulos filed a second request to be allowed in the courtyard with other suspects even though he received no answer to his first appeal.Giotopoulos, Nikos Papanastasiou and Pavlos Serifis are the only three to enter the courtyard individually.

[04] INVESTIGATIONS TO FIND GUN OWNER

The old rifle that was located last Sunday afternoon by bathers in the Vrisoula area in Preveza, has been sent to the Athens crime labs for a ballistics report to be conducted. The bag in which it was found, also contained another full magazine and a stand for the weapon.

The Preveza authorities are still continuing investigations to locate the owner of the weapon.

[05] PAKISTANIS FILMING AIR FORCE BASE ARRESTED

Two Pakistanis who were arrested while filming the Elefsina Military Air Basewere taken to the Elefsina police station, where they were questioned by Security officers, while their camera was confiscated. They will be taken to the DA today.

It should be noted that the two Pakistanis are Greek residents. One has a work permit and stated he was an employee in the private sector, while the other lives in Aspropyrgos and stated he was a construction worker.

[06] BUSH CONGRATULATES SIMITIS ON TERRORISM

US President George Bush sent a congratulatory letter to Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, concerning the developments on the terrorism front.

In the letter, Mr. Bush wrote: "Congratulations on the recent arrests of the main suspects of the "November 17" terrorist group taking place in Greece. The government's successful police operations against an organization that is responsible for three decades of attacks, underlines Greece's major contribution to the worldwide war against terrorism".

The US President pointed out that "as the 2004 Olympics approach, I believe that our cooperation on security issues will increase. I anxiously await for us to continue our cooperation in the productive steps we made during our meeting here in Washington in January".

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