Doping-linked Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are facing reduced sentences if convicted in a perjury trial.
The Sydney Olympic medalists are on trial, accused of faking a motorcycle accident on the eve of the Athens Games in 2004 after missing a doping test that led to their sporting suspension. The perjury charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Public persecutor Giorgos Petrou urged the court Tuesday to reduce their sentence if convicted, accusing their coach Christos Tzekos of being primarily responsible.
A panel of three judges is expected to issue its ruling next week.
Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou Face Lighter Sentences
ELPE Hellenic Petroleum Workers Launch 10-Day Strike
Employees of Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) on Sunday launched a 10-day strike that could potentially disrupt the smooth supply of the market with fuel in the coming days, as ANA reported.
The employees at ELPE, which controls three of the four oil refineries in Greece, are striking in demand of ”the safe staffing of the new units that are commencing operation at the ELPE industrial installations in Thessaloniki and Elefsina”.
Market sources told ANA that the problems are not expected to arise immediately, given that there are ample reserves in fuel stations and at the installations of the fuel marketing companies, while supply will be normal from the fourth refinery, that of Motor Oil. Given, however, that ELPE controls three of the country’s four refineries — in Aspropyrgos, Elefsina and Thessaloniki — and more than 60% of the market, the strike could cause fuel shortages, especially if there is a flurry of drivers rushing to fill their tanks, in which case the reserves will dry up earlier, the sources said.
According to a labour union statement issued on March 18th, the company’s workers have demanded wage increases in line with EU inflation, but management rejected their offer. ELPE management has filed a petition in court asking that the strike be declared illegal.
Court: Pending EL.PE strike legal
An Athens first instance court on Monday declined to rule against a pending strike called by the union representing Hellenic Petroleum (EL.PE) employees.
The union has called for a 10-day strike at Greece’s partially state-owned and largest petro-chemical group.
In a statement after the ruling, EL.PE’s management charged that the industrial action aims at the hiring of personnel for the refinery in Thessaloniki and not over the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Papandreou Receives George Soros at Parliament
Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday held a meeting with well-known investor and financier George Soros, who visited the Premier at his office in Parliament. The meeting was later attended by Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou.
No statements were made afterward. Sources said the meeting focused on the state of the global and European economies, especially in the Eurozone, as well as the difficulties facing the Greek economy and developments in the wider region, especially in North Africa.
George Soros also revealed that Greece has the support of U.S. President Barrack Obama. Soros cited the recent visit of Finance Secretary Timothy Geithner to Berlin shortly before the EU summit in March and said: “The Obama administration want to save Greece.”
UNSG Encourages Cyprus Leaders to Redouble Efforts
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has encouraged Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu to redouble their efforts to build confidence on all fronts, so that a mutually acceptable comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem can remain in sight.
The UNSG has proposed another meeting with both leaders in mid-June to review developments.
A UN press release said that the UN Secretary General spoke by telephone on Sunday with Christofias and separately with Eroglu, adding that “in both conversations, the Secretary-General noted that there had been some convergences, particularly in the economy chapter and in the chapter on EU matters.“
“However”, he said, “there has been no significant progress in the other chapters“ and “noted the election period was approaching.“
“He encouraged both leaders to redouble their efforts to build confidence on all fronts so that a mutually acceptable comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem can remain in sight. In this regard, the Secretary-General proposed convening another meeting with both leaders in mid-June to review developments,“ the press release concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. UN-backed negotiations between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus began in September 2008. The leaders met with the SG in late January in Geneva.
(source: cna)
UK Airliner Makes Emergency Landing In Greece Over Bomb Scare
An Egypt-bound British airliner with 213 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Greece on Monday following a bomb threat.
The Thomson Airways Boeing 757-200 was flying from Bristol to the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, when the crew received a news of the bomb threat from an Egyptian news agency.
On receiving a Mayday from the crew while over northern Greece, Greek authorities sent two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter to escort the aircraft and gave it permission to make emergency landing at the international airport in capital Athens, reports said.
All passengers were evacuated safely from the plane after it landed by 3 p.m. There were no injuries to passengers, who are safe in the airport terminal, a spokesman for the airlines owner TUI Travel said.
Bomb experts were searching the plane at a remote area of the airport.
Budget Deficit May Exceed 10.5%
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) may report that budget deficit in 2010 exceeded 10.5% of Gross Domestic Product, according to unconfirmed sources, while Ministry of Finance estimates deficit to range between 9.8% and 10.1% of GDP.
Government had targeted to reduce 2010 deficit to 9.4% of GDP. The gap should be covered by additional revenue measures, which may reach €2.7b.
Ministry of Finance supports ELSTAT’s independence, and neither confirms nor denies the rumors.
Greek Government To Simplify Foreign Investment In Border Areas
Ministries of Finance and Development have approved a draft law prepared by the Ministry of Defence that simplifies the licensing process of trade and investment in border areas, especially for citizens of countries that don’t belong to European Union.
According to Capital.gr sources, the Defence Ministry has proposed the revision of border areas and the amendment of relevant regulation regarding to commercial leases in order to be aligned with the Greek Commercial Leases Code.
However, the Ministry of Citizen Protection is expected to offer opposition, regarding the jurisdiction of the Hellenic National Intelligence Service and State Security in the approval of foreign investment.
Until recently, cases could be delayed for up to two years, but now the average time is reduced to six months.
Deputy Defence Minister P. Beglitis told Capital.gr that the ministry has proceeded with targeted interventions regarding speed and simplification of licensing procedures by amending the current legislation.
Until now, Greek and EU citizens wishing to engage in any commercial transaction in the border areas should obtain permission from a relevant committee, in which a Defence representative participates with veto rights.
Under the legislation, border areas are considered the prefectures of Florina, Thesprotia, Kastoria, Xanthi, Rodopi, Evros, Samos, Chios, Lesbos, Dodecanese, Kilkis. Also, Konitsa and Pogoni areas in Ioannina, Almopia and Edessa in Pella, Sintiki in Serres, Nevrokopi in Drama and the islands of Santorini and Skyros.
However, citizens outside EU must obtain a direct permission of Defence Minister upon recommendation of the Ministry’s qualified military and civilian staff, along with Hellenic National Intelligence Service and State Security.
In the draft bill, the border areas are revised and only Xanthi, Rodopi, Evros, Samos, Chios, Lesbos and Dodecanes remain, while Preveza is added. The licensing will continue to obtain be the political leadership of Defence Ministry.
For the rest border areas, the licenses will be issued by a regional five-member committee, with the permanent positive vote of Defence representative. This would shorten the required time to less than three months.
Moreover, the bill provided the expansion of commercial leases to twelve years from six so far.
Onassis Curse Strikes Again?
Athina Onassis, the only surviving heiress to grandfather Aristotle Onassis’s fortune, has talked of leading a life of simplicity—but it seems she’s unable to keep the “Onassis curse” at bay. Little more than a week ago, the ex-lover of Onassis’s husband—and the mother of Onassis’s two stepchildren—jumped to her death from a seventh-floor flat in Brazil, the Daily Mail reports. In her suicide note, 36-year-old actress and Playboy model Cibele Dorsa complained about the arrangement under which Onassis was raising Vivienne, 10, and Fernando, 14.
Vivienne was born to Dorsa and Alvaro “Doda” Alfonso de Miranda Neto, now Onassis’s husband of six years. Fernando, born during Dorsa’s first marriage, went to live with his sister in 2009 at his request, says Dorsa’s first husband, who says that his “emotional and unstable” ex-wife “couldn’t take care of the children.” He adds, “it was her decision to allow the children to live with” Onassis, 26, and Doda, 38, with whom they experienced “a very simple and healthy lifestyle.” Even so, in one of her last notes, Dorsa wrote that living without her children felt as if “my heart has been cut out.”
Greek FM: According to the Libyan envoy, Gaddafis looking for way out…
Greece’s foreign minister said after a meeting in Athens between the prime minister and a Libyan envoy that the Gaddafi’s regime was “looking for a solution.”
The New York Times reported that at least two of Gaddafi ‘s sons are proposing a transition to a constitutional democracy that would include their father’s removal from power.
A Gaddafi envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Laabidi, is due to travel to Turkey from Greece today and then on to Malta.
“According to what the Libyan envoy said, the regime seems to be looking for a solution,” Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said.
European Union Concerned About Greek Debt
The proposed increase of European Central Bank’s interest rates and the expansion of the political crisis in both weak (Portugal, Ireland, Spain) and strong euro zone countries (Germany, France) complicate the financial and political environment, in which Greece must deal with its debt crisis.
European Union sources admitted that the situation now is extremely difficult, despite the decision of the last European Summit, as the possibility of a deeper recession limits Greek economy’s ability to meet demands of the measures, which were initiated by the Memorandum.
In this context, they note that the comments of German magazine Der Spiegel that International Monetary Fund suggests Greece to proceed with “voluntary” debt restructuring, despite mutual denial, do not lack a reasonable basis, as the combination of higher interest rates and a prolonged recession make a restructuring impossible through the Memorandum.
However, such a policy cannot be promoted as a European Union initiative as it could cause sharp deterioration of the situation not only in Portugal and Ireland, but in other euro zone countries with high debt.
For this reason, it is estimated that the second quarter of the 2011 will be crucial for Greece and the euro area, as the process of banking stress tests is expected to emerge high needs for recapitalization of European banks that have to be covered by governments.
The same sources also note that decisions of the European Summit has left many issues open, especially the details of the financing of the euro zone rescue funds.