Bullet sent to head of pension report panel

Police yesterday were examining a letter containing a single bullet that was mailed to the vice president of Greece’s Court of Audit, Anna Ligomenou, who is also the head of a committee of experts that compiled a report with recommendations for the government on how to overhaul the Greek pension system.

The letter was mailed to Ligomenou’s office in Ambelokipi, near central Athens, by an unidentified sender. As well as the bullet, the envelope contained an A4 piece of paper, bearing a red star, according to sources who said the text referred to Ligomenou as a “butcher of the people’s right to a pension.” Another extract said, “Now you will see what fear really looks like.”

The envelope and its contents were being examined by forensic experts for the possible presence of fingerprints or DNA. Police gave no indication of possible suspects but the letter is believed to have been sent from Piraeus.

Other members of the so-called “committee of wise men” which compiled the pensions report for the government claim to have received death threats from anonymous callers. Government officials have said they are not “bound” by the report, which prescribes major reforms to the pension system.

In recent years, bullets have been mailed to several public figures, including Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras.