Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-02-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] DENIALS AND REVELATIONS

[02] INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FIXED FOOTBALL GAMES

[03] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER

[04] UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.1% IN THE 3RD TRIMESTER OF 2004

[05] THE METROPOLITE OF CHIOS DENIES ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING MILLIONS OF

[01] DENIALS AND REVELATIONS

The heavy atmosphere in the Church of Greece Holy Synod meetings became heavier after the testimony of a senior justice servant before the Supreme Court inspector Baldas. According to him, Iakovos Giosakis had mediated and was present in two meetings he had with Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece at the Archbishopric Building. The Archbishop had stated that he had never met Giosakis.

Based on other information, a Metropolite, who is kept anonymous for the time being, appears to have four bank accounts of US$ 17 million in a US bank.

Meanwhile, Kirillos Stavropoulos a priest and close associate of Father Giosakis was led to Koridallos Prison accused of involvement in the antiquities trade case in the island of Kythera.

[02] INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FIXED FOOTBALL GAMES

Six individuals from the city of Thessaloniki are allegedly members of an international network that fixed football games.

According to a press report on the Thessaloniki daily Angelioforos, an individual from Thessaloniki under the name Kostas S. speaking in a sports show on television station Extra maintained that 6 Thessaloniki residents were in a position to know in advance the results of football games.

According to him, the six individuals in question are a manager of football players, a football team official in Thessaloniki and former football players and referees.

[03] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER

The government received no recommendations by the EU officials to change the majority shareholder law, stated acting government spokesman Vangelis Antonaros stressing that everything said and written on the issue is a misrepresentation of reality.

Mr. Antonaros reminded that the Greek government undertook the initiative to meet with the European Commission to brief it on the law, which the previous governments did not do, because the current government is in dialogue with its partners. According to the acting government spokesman, the outcome of the meeting in question was positive.

Responding to a question regarding alleged sanctions to be imposed on Greece, he stated categorically that there is no such risk.

[04] UNEMPLOYMENT AT 10.1% IN THE 3RD TRIMESTER OF 2004

Unemployment in Greece reached 10.1% in the third trimester of 2004 according to the Greek National Statistics Agency, while the unemployment rate for women is twice higher compared to men, 15.8% and 6.1% respectively.

Unemployment hits mostly young people between the ages of 15 and 29 with unemployment rate for men at 19.9% while for women it is at 27.5%.

The highest unemployment was recorded in the region of western Macedonia (16.4%), western Greece (13%), and eastern Macedonia and Thrace (12.6%), while the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Crete (5.8%) and the Ionian Sea islands (4.7%).

[05] THE METROPOLITE OF CHIOS DENIES ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

Metropolite Dionisios of Chios, Psara and Inuses categorically denied information that came to light yesterday according to which, he allegedly has four bank accounts of US$ 17 million in a US bank while he is also the owner of a yacht and an offshore company.

With statements he made today, Metropolite Dionisios denied all allegations and maintained that he has 250,000 euros in the bank, which he intends to donate to schools in the island of Chios.

He also denied that he has yachts or offshore companies and maintained that he visited the United States only as the guest of the Greek community there.

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