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| Europe |
| Greek elite may have paid to stay off hit-list |
| 2003-01-22 |
| Some of Greece's richest men are believed to have paid large sums to be kept off the hit-list of the terrorist group November 17. They are said to include the family of Gianna Angelopoulos, the organiser of the 2004 Athens Olympics, and shipowner Yiannis Latsis. The blackmail came to light when Mrs Angelopoulos's husband, Theodore, gave Prime Minister Costas Simitis an extract from the diary of his uncle Dimitris, who was murdered by the gang in 1986. Mr Simitis, who wants domestic terrorists arrested before the Games, sent it to the judiciary. This week some of the biggest names in Greek banking and commerce are expected to appear before a public prosecutor as the investigation begins, most of them thought to have been held to ransom by November 17, which was cracked last year. Dimitris Angelopoulos's note allegedly says he was approached in 1985 by the Athenian publisher of an extreme right-wing newspaper, who claimed to have access to November 17 and said he could get Mr Angelopoulos's name removed from its list for a fee. The publisher, Grigoris Michalopoulos, denies the accusation. Last summer 19 suspected members of November 17 were arrested after a botched bomb attack. There is talk that more will be detained soon. More evidence that there is little difference between terror groups and ordinary street thugs. |
| Posted by:Steve |