Greek police chief quits

Athens - The Greek police chief, Mr Thanassis Vassilopoulos, resigned yesterday in the wake of a hostage-taking fiasco in which…

Athens - The Greek police chief, Mr Thanassis Vassilopoulos, resigned yesterday in the wake of a hostage-taking fiasco in which 11 people were wounded when a police rescue attempt went awry, the Public Order Minister, Mr Georges Romeos, said.

Police admitted afterwards they had been sure the 45-year-old hostage-taker was bluffing when he claimed to have a live grenade fastened to a woman hostage.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter