Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-03-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 14/03/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Simitis returns to Greece for Cabinet meeting on drachma
• British couple found murdered in Cephalonia
• Youth dies during taekwondo training
• Shipowners arrested
• Businessman arrested in lotto scam
• Simitis: European Conference participation conditional
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis cut short a visit to London and returned to Athens late Friday night to chair a Cabinet meeting today on the drachma.

The government announced yesterday that Greece had formally requested the entry of the drachma to the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) of the European Monetary System.

ERM entry will necessitate a realignment of the drachma's parity against European Union currencies and the Ecu. Athens newspapers today spoke of a 10 to 15 per cent devaluation of the national currency, while other sources are forecasting less than 10 per cent.

The EU monetary committee will convene in Brussels today to decide on the precise terms of the drachma's entry to ERM. A six to eight hour session is expected with a decision being announced at about 10 pm Greek time.

Sudden pressure on the drachma yesterday indicated however that the drachma's entry to the ERM was known in certain circles. Sources said foreign banks purchased in excess of 1 billion dollars on Friday.

Simitis cut short his visit to London, where he attended the European Conference, while Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos remained to attend today's informal European Council meeting in Edinburgh.

The premier is expected to leave Sunday night for an official visit to Prague.

British couple found murdered in Cephalonia

A British couple were found brutally murdered in their home on the island of Cephalonia late last night, police said.

A police source said the couple, identified as Roy Eccles, 55, and his wife Judith, 49, were probably murdered between 2 and 5 a.m. on Thursday. Their bodies were discovered only late last night.

Both bodies carried several knife wounds. The assailants searched the couple's home apparently trying to find money or jewellery and then disappeared, taking with them the couple's car parked outside their home.

The investigation into the double murder is being coordinated from the police station in Lixouri on the west coast of Cephalonia.

The murders were discovered after a British friend of the couple, concerned at the couple's non-appearance, used a key to enter the house.

Police in Sami, a small resort on the east coast of Cephalonia with ferry connections to the mainland, this morning found the couple's car which had apparently been stolen by the killers and abandoned.

The police believe that the killers left for the western port city of Patras, on the mainland, shortly after the murders.

Roy Eccles was a retired electrical engineer and his wife, Judith, from Bedford, a retired accountant.

They had built the house in which they were living last October.

Police were puzzled by the fact that although the house was in a mess, presumably after being searched by the killers, certain objects of value were still in place, including a camera, a telescope and electrical appliances.

Judith Eccles was still wearing a gold necklace and gold bracelets.

Youth dies during taekwondo training

A 19-year-old man has died during taekwondo training at a club in Triandria, northern Greece, police announced today.

Stelios Kourfalis from Thessaloniki apparently lost consciousness during a training session last night for reasons as yet unclear and was rushed to hospital but was dead on arrival.

Coroner Matthaios Tsougas who carried out an autopsy told the ANA that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to Kourfalis having swallowed his tongue, which then blocked his windpipe.

Tsougas said he had found no signs of internal or external injury indicating that Kourfalis had been struck prior to death, without however being able to rule this out categorically.

If such a blow had been cushioned by the gloves of the type worn by taekwondo athletes, which are stuffed with reinforced afrolex, it would no leave no mark, the coroner said.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man's death.

Shipowners arrested

Athens security police have arrested shipowners Antonis and George Ventouris on charges of extortion and complicity.

Police sources said that 16 months ago, the National Bank of Greece had impounded George Ventouris' car ferry "Panaghia Paxon" and had appointed Michalis Kourgialis, 45, as its captain at a monthly salary of 550,000 dr.

George Ventouris, 45, who was recently released after serving a sentence for extortion, demanded 1.1 million dr. from Kourgialis, the salary he had received as captain of the ship for two months.

Kourgialis informed the security police and arranged a meeting with George Ventouris' brother, Antonis, 51, to give him a marked check for that amount.

Both brothers were then arrested.

Businessman arrested in lotto scam

A 39-year-old businessman appeared before the public prosecutor today and was charged with fraud after he allegedly tricked thousands of Athenians out of more than 100 million drachmas by selling them "magic numbers" for the twice-weekly state-run numbers lottery.

According to the charges, Dimitrios Bilios, sold six "lucky numbers" to clients for 13,900 drachmas, after convincing them that within four months they will have won over 15 million drachmas by playing the numbers.

Bilios told his victims that he was applying the method of American numerologist Roy Winter which, in combination with their date of birth and house number, was sure to make them rich.

He also persuaded many punters to buy a "magic stone" from him for 23,500 drachmas. The stone was to be rubbed against the lottery form to be played, further increasing chances of success.

Although Bilios claimed that all his clients would win, no one actually did.

Police seized five dossiers containing over 40,000 names and addresses, of whom 9,000 had purchased the "magic" numbers. It is believed Bilios managed to con his victims out of at least 100 million drachmas.

Simitis: European Conference participation conditional

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday said a precondition for the participation of a country in the European Conference must be the acceptance of certain basic principles governing the European Union, and expressed at the Luxembourg summit.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the European Conference in London, Mr. Simitis expressed regret over the absence of Turkey but, as he added, he felt even more regret because Turkey refused to accept what is self-evident - international law, international accords, acceptance of the jurisdiction of the International Court at The Hague and Europe's acquis communautaire.

He said quite a few leaders expressed regret over Turkey's absence (such as France and Italy), but no special reference is made in the joint communique and it is merely noted that the European Conference is open to all countries.

On the question of the Turkish Cypriots' participation in negotiations for Cyprus' accession to the European Union, Mr. Simitis said that proposals by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides correspond to the spirit of decisions taken in Luxembourg and now it is up to the Turkish Cypriots to state their position.

Mr. Simitis said that in talks he had with his British counterpart he ascertained that British PM Tony Blair has a positive approach to the prospect of Cyprus' accession, adding that no pressures were exerted by the French side.

He further said that the decisions taken in Luxembourg still hold (clear reference is made in the communique), stressing that continuous steps are being made and the way is being paved for the new Europe regardless of whether the path is still long. There is a spectacular event in that a new reality is being created in Europe, he said.

On other issues Mr. Simitis stressed the need to combat crime was discussed at the European Conference, as was the issue of drugs and of environmental protection. He said it was self-evident that each country by itself cannot tackle these issues and consequently better coordination is necessary, along with harmonisation of legislation and common policies.

On the issue of organised crime, it was agreed that experts should be appointed to review the situation and submit a report in a year's time on what must be done.

Lastly, it was decided that the issues of foreign policy and security, regional development and competitiveness will be discussed at the next European Conference (a year later).

Referring to this issue, Mr. Simitis said during the press conference that Greece favours the maintenance of the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia but, additionally, requests protection for the rights of the Albanians and the implementation of agreements on Kosovo.

Mr. Simitis added that Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos told Yugoslav authorities during his recent visit to Belgrade that there must be some kind of a move on their part such as the implementation of the educational accord concluded in 1996 and a serious effort for dialogue.

"These moves have not taken place so far," he said, adding that "of course, this leads to ever-increasing pressure on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by the international community. We hope (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic realises this and makes some kind of a move."

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(S.S.)

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