Migrant jumps from fifth floor
A 39 year-old Pakistani man was being treated in a hospital in Trikala, central Greece, for serious injuries after reportedly jumping from the fifth-floor window of the town’s police headquarters yesterday. Authorities said that the unnamed man had been due for deportation after being held for four months. He reportedly tried to kill himself again in the past after being caught without legal documentation.
Reparations.
Greece has a “historical obligation” to seek war reparations from Germany stemming from the Nazi occupation in World War II, leftist leader Alexis Tsipras said yesterday. Speaking at an event in the village of Distomo – the site of a Nazi massacre which left 218 people dead on June 10, 1944 – the head of SYRIZA accused previous governments of lacking the “courage” to push compensation claims. Tsipras also called for legal measures to ban Holocaust denial after at least two Golden Dawn politicians recently appeared to cast doubts over the genocide of about 6 million Jews during WWII.
Firefighting.
Short of manpower and equipment, Greece’s firefighters’ union yesterday voiced its concern regarding the department’s ability to meet the challenges of the summer season. POEPYS said that no full-time firefighters have been hired since 2008, while it estimated that about 4,200 positions remain to be filled. The union further claims that only 415 of the 1,700 fire engines used across the country are less than 10 years old, while 13 of the 21 water-dropping planes at the department’s disposal are over 20 years old.
Gavalas debts.
The company founded and run by fashion entrepreneur Lakis Gavalas submitted an official offer to the Finance Ministry yesterday to transfer the company’s eastern Attica headquarters to the state in exchange for a writeoff of the company’s debts. The offer was made following a request by Attica Regional Governor Yiannis Sgouros for the acquisition of the premises in Kantza to host the authority’s various departments. According to the company the value of the property is estimated at 37 million euros, which would more than cover the company’s debts to the state, which stand at 17 million euros. Gavalas is currently being held at Korydallos Prison awaiting trial.
Taverna blast.
Police on the island of Crete were investigating a large explosion in a taverna situated in the area of Gazi, in Iraklio, late on Sunday. According to reports, the premises were largely destroyed. The restaurant was closed at the time of the blast and no injuries were reported.