Haralambos Athanasiou

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will be recommending the formation of a parliamentary committee to conduct a preliminary inquiry into claims made in a prosecutors' report that several high-ranking politicians were bribed by Swiss drugs firm Novartis.

Government officials clashed with opposition MPs in Parliament on Wednesday on a bill aimed at decongesting prisons that includes a provision permitting house arrest for seriously disabled prisoners.

At an emergency press conference on Friday, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos backed allegations by his MP Pavlos Haikalis according to which a middleman tried to bribe the latter to vote for the coalition's candidate for president.

A pilot scheme to electronically tag prisoners on furlough is due to start in two months after it emerged as a compromise between authorities and anarchist Nikos Romanos, who ended his 30-day hunger strike on Wednesday after a related amendment was passed through Parliament.

As Nikos Romanos started a thirst strike Wednesday, Greek Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou submitted an amendment in Parliament aimed at breaking the deadlock over the 21-year-old jailed anarchist and robber.

Romanos has been on hunger strike since November 10 over authorities' refusal to grand him an educational leave to attend classes at a Greek technical college (TEI).

Greek anarchist and convicted robber Nikos Romanos has ended a hunger strike after parties agreed on an amendment that will allow him to attend on-campus classes while wearing an electronic bracelet, Kathimerini understands.

 Minister open to Romanos’ release with tag, suggests distance learning in meantime

Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou on Monday indicated that the jailed anarchist and bank robber Nikos Romanos, who is in the 30th day of a hunger strike in protest at authorities’ refusal to grant him furlough to attend lectures, could be allowed to do so with a monitoring bracelet.

After meeting Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou on Monday, the father of hunger striker Nikos Romanos said on Monday that there has been no breakthrough in his dispute with the government.

“I think they will discuss it again and I hope they find a solution,” said Giorgos Romanos, whose son entered the 29th day of his hunger strike on Monday.

 Protests marking killing of police teenager draw thousands across Greece

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is on Monday to meet the parents of Nikos Romanos, the convicted bank robber and anarchist who has been on hunger strike for more than three weeks in protest at the authorities’ refusal to grant him leave from prison to attend Athens Technical College.

Amid growing tension over the ongoing hunger strike by anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos, a demonstration Saturday marking the sixth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of teenager Alexandros Grigoropoulos in central Athens was expected to be held under a heavy police presence.