The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 09-03-17

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Measures against Jailbreaks

The measures listed by the minister included making all prison hospitals part of the National Health System (ESY) and changing the way that prison councils were appointed, while prison governors will no longer be recruited from among persons currently serving in prison administrations.

Dendias also announced plans for the construction of a type C high-security correctional facility for those serving lengthy sentences and a ban on the possession and use of mobile phones within correctional facilities, even by guards and prison personnel, which will become a criminal offence. Use of mobile phones by inmates will in turn carry severe disciplinary penalties.

The minister outlined a new measure, where prison staff will be required to submit annual statements of their means and assets - similarly to justices, police, politicians and journalists. In addition, prisoners will no longer be transferred to courts in Athens and other big cities in order to stand trial but will be tried in the towns where they are being held.

He then went on to outline measures designed to relieve overcrowding in Greek prisons, such as the conditional release of those whose sentences were convertible to fines that they could not pay or allowing women inmates with underage children to carry out community work instead of serving their sentence, except in cases where they are serving life sentences.

Another measure in this direction will be to restrict the use of imprisonment on remand for certain categories of offences, since Greece currently has twice or three times the proportion of remand prisoners compared with other European countries, replacing this with release with restrictive conditions.

Source: ANA-MPA

News item: 20225

[02] PASOK: New Development Model

News item: 20221

[03] Severe Punishment of Hooded Gangs

Mr. Dendias announced reduction of temporary detention time, which can be three times longer in Greece compared to average detention time in the other eurozone member countries and certainly presupposes acceleration of legal procedures for attribution of justice. In reference to the correctional system, the Inner Cabinet decided immediate materialization of measures providing for the smooth operation and modernization of the correctional system and combat of corruption.

Sources: ÍÅÔ-ÍÅÔ 105.8 ÁNA/ÌPA

News item: 20214

[04] Inner Cabinet's Meeting on Penitentiary System

A meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister Mr. Karamanlis is held now by the inner cabinet. The members of the governmental committee will be briefed by the competent minister Mr. Nikos Dendias on the situation prevailing today in prisons after the recent prison breaking of criminals Palaikostas and Rizai. The new penitentiary measures to be announced will also be at the focus of the discussions.

News item: 20206

[05] Papandreou: EU Role Determinative

PASOK and Socialist International president presented the socialist parties proposals to the ECB administration in view of the G20 Summit meeting in London. Among issues discussed were the global financial crisis and its impact on Greece. Mr. Papandreou added that PASOK has made proposals to deal with the current problems of Greek people as well as about the future of the country. He particularly stressed that Greece needs a plan not based on austerity policies but on policies boosting growth and support of medium- class families, a policy centered on the people.

In Athens, PASOK spokesman George Papakonstantinou said that there was not even a government initiative for taxation relief and reduction of VAT for agriculture machinery, proposals voiced by PASOK president during a Parliament debate on foreign policy on the grounds of a recent Ecofin decision. He added that the government has not yet decided whether to implement this favourable Ecofin framework on tourism and agriculture machinery. Commenting on Mr. Papandreou meeting with ECB administration, LAOS spokesman K. Belopoulos said: "Mr. Papandreou and PASOK mocked LAOS when we called on Mr. Loukas Papadimos to help the country under the circumstances of the global financial crisis. We do not mock him now that he is seeking for his advice. We merely say if he is unable to state in public and not call for elections indicating his crave for power".

GCP Press Office Comment on Papandreou Statements

"Although PASOK president knows and agrees with the worst EU anti-popular measures to support profits of monopolios such as part-time job, salary cuts, 65 hour weekly work, he pretends that he ignores them. At the same time he proposes them as PASOK plan. Green development- basic EU instruction to support competition of is monopolios- is incorporated in this plan. The people must punish EU parties for the lies they have told and the ones they are telling".

News item: 20163

[06] Karamanlis-Rothschild Meeting

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis is meeting Monday with banker David René James de Rothschild. In the meantime, at a speech he delivered Saturday in Agrinio, eastern Greece, Kostas Karamanlis called for vigilance, responsibility and self-discipline amidst the financial crisis. The Greek head of government reiterated that the plan to survive the crisis includes boosting the low-income earners, reducing the fiscal deficit and enhancing growth, even at a slower rate.

Financial Minister Giannis Papathanasiou told Vima paper, "The income policy will have been unveiled by the end of March," while he ruled out a VAT rise.

In the meantime, the Financial Ministry is after immediately implementing the plan to have public spending trimmed by up to 10 percent in the days to come in order to send a crystal clear message of fiscal discipline both in markets and Brussels, which is expected to set a specific timeline for a deficit reduction below 3 percent.

Source: NET 105.8

News item: 20140

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