All is well, that ends well. According to reports on Monday, one of the municipal employees on charges of simple assault against the German consul in Thessaloniki apologised to the diplomat. Consul Wolfgang Hoelscher-Obermaier told the Greek state news agency that the employee approached him of his own volition at the court in Thessaloniki, where the latter was awaiting to be tried and apologised. The consul accepted the apology and added that "violence is not a means of resolving conflict." The employee excused himself by saying he was "emotionally distraught" from austerity measures "threatening his job".
The municipal employee, a colleague and a trade unionist (aged 39, 47 and 53) were arrested for heckling and throwing coffee and water bottles against the consul as he arrived at a conference centre for the 3rd Greek-German meeting of Regions, Municipalities and Citizens last Thursday. Their trial has been postponed to Nov. 28.
The defendants appeared before a public prosecutor on Saturday and were charged with simple assault, disturbing the peace and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm -- mostly shoving and throwing plastic cups of coffee at the diplomat. One of the three was also charged with insubordination because, according to police, he refused to have his fingerprints taken. The charges were filed by the police. (AMNA)
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