Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-04-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Psomiadis extradited, in custody

[01] Psomiadis extradited, in custody

Psomiadis has been charged with match-fixing and has been held in a Skopje prison since his arrest in the city on a European arrest warrant last November.

His extradition was approved after five and a half months and the handover took place in no-man's land between the two border posts in Evzones. The 56-year-old Greek businessman was then put in an Interpol car that is now heading for Athens. He is first due at central police headquarters in Athens and will then be taken to the Athens prosecutors' office so that a warrant ordering his temporary incarceration can be carried out.

The charges against him, linked to an investigation on match-fixing launched last summer, include running a criminal organisation, money laundering, extortion and fraud.

Psomiadis was first arrested by Greek authorities last September in Anavyssos, southeast of Athens, on a match-fixing charge and was then released pending trial because the prosecutor and examining magistrate could not agree on whether he should be remanded in custody. An order for his temporary incarceration was then issued by the Athens first-instance judges' council but the 56-year-old had already fled the country and taken refuge in Skopje.

Authorities in the neighbouring country caught up with him at a Skopje cafe and arrested him based on a tip-off provided by Greek authorities. A local magistrate ordered that he be remanded in custody and Athens has been seeking his extradition since that time.

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