Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-08-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] SCENT OF A WOMAN AT N17 HIDEOUT

[02] BULGARIAN COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY RACKET

[03] ASE GAINS 1.37%

[04] KARAMANLIS: THE FARMERS ARE BEING DECEIVED

[05] CHRYSOCHOIDIS: THERE IS NO SCHEDULE IN ERADICATING TERRORISM

[06] PASCHALIDIS: EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

[07] FURTHER N17 WITNESS TESTIMONIES

[08] PANHELLENIC BOYCOTT FOR INCREASED PRICES

[01] SCENT OF A WOMAN AT N17 HIDEOUT

The participation of at least one woman in November 17 was confirmed by the evidence collected thus far by the Criminological Research Direction from the biological evidence in the N17 hideouts on Patmos and Damareos st.

Biological evidence of two more men that have not been identified was also found at the hideouts. For that reason it is expected that biological samples be requested of the 14 N17 suspected members in the Corydallos penitentiary.

[02] BULGARIAN COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY RACKET

The consecutive arrests of individuals trafficking counterfeit currency in N. Greece caused the intervention of Interpol, while the police appreciate that a Bulgarian racket is behind the case.

Meanwhile, last Sunday the Police arrested 50-year-old Pavlos Katopodis at the Rhodes casino, for trying to gamble with counterfeit 50 euro bank notes.

The police are investigating the possibility of Katopodis, who was wanted by the Financial Crimes Service, being related to the in question Bulgarian criminal racket.

[03] ASE GAINS 1.37%

The ASE closed with significant gains of 1.37% and reached 2,204.95 units, with the volume of transactions reaching 114.6 million euro and 259 stocks rising, 59 dropping and 82 remaining at the same value.

[04] KARAMANLIS: THE FARMERS ARE BEING DECEIVED

President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis accused the government of deceiving and abandoning Greek farmers.

After a broad meeting of the Agricultural sector at ND's offices, chaired by Mr. Karamanlis, he stated:

"The Simitis government has abandoned the farmers leaving them to "fend for themselves", as they have shamelessly stated. The government's decision is destructive for our farmers, and will at the same time it burden this entire country.

For the past 6 years, Mr. Simitis has been indifferent to the problems of the agricultural sector. He did not do the obvious, what all other EU Prime Ministers did, which resulted in Greece losing all the crucial battles for its agricultural products".

Meanwhile, the Federation of Democratic Farmer's Associations of the Thessaloniki Prefecture have organized a rally outside the Thessaloniki International Fair, for Friday, September 6, the day the Prime Minister will open the TIF.

As the Federation's President Sotiris Parlapanis explained the mobilization will be panhellenic and they will not take tractors into the city.

[05] CHRYSOCHOIDIS: THERE IS NO SCHEDULE IN ERADICATING TERRORISM

A review of the developments in the terrorism case took place during the meeting between Prime Minister Kostas Simtis and Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrysochoidis.

Specifically, Mr. Chrysochoidis briefed the Prime Minister on the findings of the lab investigations and the testimonies of the suspects in the "November 17" case. In fact the Minister referred to the information the authorities have on other terrorist organizations active in Greece, and specifically ELA (Revolutionary People's Struggle)

In statements following the meeting, the Minister of Public Order pointed out that there are no time schedules in the effort to eradicate terrorism, and underlined that there is perfect order in the investigations. "The whole procedure will move based on evidence, without compromising people, with respect to democratic rules and the fundamental rights of Greek citizens", said the Minister characteristically.

[06] PASCHALIDIS: EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

The need for the paths of communication to remain open with the movements organizing rallies during the days of the EU Summit Meeting in June 2003 in Thessaloniki, was pointed out by Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis.

He expressed the state's interest in the protesters who will reach the city from Greece and abroad, and appealed to them to respect the city.

Mr. Paschalidis discussed the issue with delegations of the Thessaloniki Workers Center and the Thessaloniki Public Workers' Union, participating in the Social Forum, and asked them to provide information so that their stay in the city can be taken care of.

Speaking to the press, the Minister said: "We want the people who will find themselves in Thessaloniki to live in a civilized manner and naturally ensure politically civilized protests in Thessaloniki during those days. Apart from that I appreciate that dialogue and understanding have a lot to offer, because I believe that everyone has the right to protest and express their views on major issues".

Regarding the Mayor's statement that Thessaloniki has been abandoned, which Mr. Papageorgopoulos made yesterday during his meeting with the President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis, Mr. Paschalidis characterized it as "extreme".

The Minister noted that "A lot of important work is being done in Thessaloniki, in all sectors, and I appreciate that criticism can be essential and positive when it points out and corrects, but it is of no help when it ends in negativity, nihilism, of work that exists, which every fair citizen of Thessaloniki recognizes".

[07] FURTHER N17 WITNESS TESTIMONIES

Officer Ioannis Papafotis, who was injured in the police clash with "November 17" in November 1991, testified before Special Examiner Leonidas Zervobeakos who is handling the case this afternoon. The officer, via his attorney Lefteris Papadimitriou, asked for a copy of the case brief.

It should be noted that Mr. Papadimitriou, a former New Democracy MP, was himself once a target of the organization, and was shot 5 times in the legs in November 1992 by Savvas Xeros and Vassilis Jorjatos.

Mr. Zervobeakos was visited by Dionysis Georgiadis' attorney, Alexandros Karamanolis this morning, and received copies of the case brief. In statements Mr. Karamanolis pointed out that based on the evidence, Dionysis Georgiadis has no reason to stop dreaming about his future.

[08] PANHELLENIC BOYCOTT FOR INCREASED PRICES

The Consumers' Institute (INKA) has called consumers to a general boycott on September 3, as a protest to the price mark ups since the beginning of 2002.

INKA urged consumers to deaden the market on September 3, in order to protect their purchasing power.

Meanwhile, the President of the Thessaloniki Commercial Association, Charalambos Charalambidis, expressed his intense opposition to the Ministry of Finance publishing a list with businesses selling their products at higher prices, immediately after his meeting with the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis, in preparation of the Prime Minister's visit. Concerning Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis' intention of publishing this list, he stated:

I cannot understand exactly why. We had contacted INKA and it had agreed that the recent tax reforms which closed down businesses of the last 10 or 12 years, paying taxes, etc., would have consequences on the price of merchandise, thus causing mark ups in prices. If, then, Mr. Christodoulakis is serious in publishing a list with the businesses raising their prices and I would like to comment that this annoyed me especially and reminded me of a period in Germany, if you like, when stars were placed on people to indicate who they were he should place himself at the top of that list. Because he should find out how much the tax policy he is following has burdened the cost of products.

When asked whether the characterization of fascism is a bit too strong, Mr. Charalambidis replied: If we want to characterize a certain group in a certain way without first going through democratic and legal procedures of a judicial decision, but prefer that each employee of the Ministry of Finance in Greece of 2002 or any other service in Germany of 1940 publishes lists or put up stars, then I do not see the difference. If the Minister finds someone who is guilty of overcharging I would understand if it went through legal procedures and then the judicial decision being announced, but imagine if an employee is charged with preparing lists and publishing them. I find it of bad taste to say the least.

When asked if products are more expensive on the market, he answered: Of course they are more expensive, and they will become even more expensive, and it has nothing to do with rounding up prices for the euro. This excuse is ridiculous, it is just a commodity that keeps rising and rising, mainly in places where it cannot be controlled by the private sector. It rises because DEI and OTE and Olympic Airways prices rise, and mainly because the Minister asks for more taxes.

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