Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-01-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't spokesman: SYRIZA 'failed to convince' MPs

[02] Fourth police officer remanded in drug-trafficking case

[03] High winds, snowfall affect sea and overland routes

[04] Santorini caldera land belongs to public, Supreme Court says

[05] Greek products to be showcased in Portugal

[06] Greece unveils restructuring plan for Hellenic Postbank

[01] Gov't spokesman: SYRIZA 'failed to convince' MPs

"They did not even convince all of their own MPs to vote for their proposal, nor were they able to undermine Parliamentary procedures," the spokesman said. The main opposition's conspiracy theories were also disproved by the MPs of the ruling majority, he added, who demonstrably voted freely.amna

He underlined the government's unwavering decision for an "legally flawless and complete handling of the Lagarde list case".

[02] Fourth police officer remanded in drug-trafficking case

He has been charged with supplying false information concerning the identity of informants used in drug busts, so that third parties benefited from favourable treatment accorded to informants under laws on prosecuting narcotics offences. amna

The high-ranking officer has denied the charges and said he was acting in the line of duty but did not convince the magistrate and public prosecutor investigating the case, who ordered that he be remanded in custody.amna

He joins another three members of the police force remanded in connection with the same case, a former head of the Volos drugs squad and two police sergeants, one serving with the Agrinio security police and the other in the Thessaloniki aliens department. All three have been suspended from duty by orders of the chief of the Greek Police.

[03] High winds, snowfall affect sea and overland routes

A Coast Guard ban on sailing introduced on Thursday is still in effect for ships leaving the main Greek port of Piraeus for Crete, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese Islands, as winds reached 9 Beaufort strong in parts of the Aegean. Saronic Islands schedules of regular ferries broke off at 6 p.m., but the Perama-Salamina route is on regular winter schedule. There will be no sailing from Rafina port after 7.30 p.m., while Lavrio port has suspended all routes.

Other suspended schedules include those of Rio-Antirio in central Greece, Ag. Marina-Nea Styra (between Evia island and the mainland), Kavala-Prinos in northern Greece and Corfu-Lefkimi in the west.amna

Overland, snowfall in mountain areas of the Peloponnese, especially Arkadia and Corinth areas, require non-skid chains, and parts of the Nemea-Levidi highway have been closed to traffic because of the heavy snow. Other problems were created by heavy rainfall in Gortynia, central Peloponnese, with rock avalanches and the rising of the waters of Lousios river.

[04] Santorini caldera land belongs to public, Supreme Court says

The court case involving the Aegean Island was initiated by a societe anonyme which had begun construction at less than 90 stremma (22.2 acres) from the sea and wanted to overturn a decision by the Appeals Court of the Aegean region.amna

Santorini's most renowned natural feature was formed when an underwater volcano blew up and sank part of the island in prehistoric times; it is the site of the island's main port.

The public defender said no private individual had a right to the area because it is a grassland, pasture, and precipice. Cycladic Island land that is forest, beach, pasture or of common use cannot belong to anyone except the state, the defence said. Similar cases concerning other islands are pending.

[05] Greek products to be showcased in Portugal

Greek products will be showcased in the major supermarket chain El Corte Ingles' markets in Lisbon and Porto in a two-week promotion from April 29 to May 12, while a Greek Gastronomy Week will held in a Lisbon department store restaurant in tandem.amna

Following the success of its recent "in-store promotion" project in the German chain Kaufhof, HEPO will repeat the promotion in Portugal in collaboration with the Economic and Commercial Affairs division of the Greek embassy in Lisbon.amna

The selection of the participating businesses and final number of products belongs exclusively to the El Corte Ingles chain.

[06] Greece unveils restructuring plan for Hellenic Postbank

Under the plan, Hellenic Postbank will undergo a restructuring along with creating a transition financial institution under the name of "New Hellenic Postbank" which will take over all saving deposits (individuals, banks and public sector) and the healthy assets (loan and securities portfolios) of the old bank.amna

The newly-found bank has received operating license from the Bank of Greece while its capital base was strengthened by the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, the sole shareholder of the new bank.amna

The new bank is fully capitalized and has access to liquidity from the Eurosystem, through the Bank of Greece, while it continues its normal operations with the aim to sell its shares the soonest possible.

The restructuring plan protects public interest, ensures systemic stability, safeguarding the savings of the state and of individuals and fully ensures the smooth operation of the bank. The old bank's license has been revoked and was placed under liquidation.

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