Unrest in Greece Enters Third Week NBA Doctor Is a Rising Star in Medicine Rival Leaders Vow to Find Solution to Cyprus Problem
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION c v www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 12, ISSUE 585 December 27, 2008 $1.25 GREECE: 1.75 EURO Unrest in Greek American Harry Greece Markopoulos first to Enters warn SEC about Madoff Third Week By Gregory Zuckerman and and the colleague recall. “This has Kara Scannell to be a Ponzi scheme.” The Wall Street Journal For Mr. Markopolos, the arrest Riots Continue as last week of Mr. Madoff was some- Securities and Exchange Com- thing of a vindication after his long Europe Worries that mission investigators discovered in campaign. At a certain point, he 2006 that Bernard Madoff had mis- says, “I was just the boy who cried Violence will Spread led the agency about how he man- wolf.” aged customer money, according to A lawyer for Mr. Madoff de- documents, yet the SEC missed an clined to comment on Mr. By Christopher Tripoulas opportunity to uncover an alleged Markopolos's allegations. Special to The National Herald Ponzi scheme. On January 4, 2006, the SEC's The documents indicate the enforcement staff in New York NEW YORK – Unrest in Greece agency had Mr. Madoff in its sights opened an investigation, based on showed little signs of abating last amid multiple violations that, if Mr. Markopolos's allegations, into weekend, as demonstrations over pursued, could have blown open whether Mr. Madoff was, in fact, the fatal shooting of 15-year-old his alleged multibillion-dollar running a Ponzi scheme. The SEC Alexander Grigoropoulos in the scam. Instead, his firm registered staff received documents from Mr. Athens district of Exarcheia by a po- as an investment adviser, at the Madoff and Fairfield Greenwich, a lice officer entered their third week. agency's request, and the public got hedge fund that placed money with The already tense situation was com- no word of the violations. Mr. Madoff on behalf of its clients. pounded by an anti-racism rally that Harry Markopolos - who once The SEC also interviewed Mr. Mad- turned violent outside the Greek Par- worked for a Madoff rival - sparked off, his assistant, an official from liament in Athens' Syntagma Square, the probe with his nearly decade- Fairfield Greenwich and another while politicians clashed over long campaign to persuade the SEC employee. Greece's 2009 state budget, narrow- that Mr. Madoff's returns were too Among other things, the SEC ly approving it midnight Sunday. In good to be true. found that Mr. Madoff personally the latest act of insurgence, an In recent days, The Wall Street "misled the examination staff about unidentified gunman opened fire on Journal reviewed emails, letters the nature of the strategy" used by a police bus early Tuesday morning. and other documents that Mr. the Fairfield funds and other Two shots were fired at a police Markopolos shared with the SEC hedge-fund accounts, and also bus outside Athens university ahead over the years. “withheld from the examination of a planned protest by high school When he first began studying staff information about certain of and university students. No one was AP PHOTO/NIKOLAS GIAKOUMIDIS Mr. Madoff's investment perfor- these customers’ accounts,” the wounded in the shooting which took Riot police avoid fire bombs thrown by protesters outside the The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki dur- mance a decade ago, Mr. Markopo- SEC documents say. place around 5:00 a.m. outside the ing clashes, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. Riots broke out Sunday in the Greek capital as demonstrators protested los told a colleague at the time, “It university, which students have oc- the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens the previous night. doesn't make any damn sense,” he Continued on page 4 cupied since the Dec. 6 riots began. According to Greek law, police are not allowed to into university grounds, and the consent of universi- ty deans is required for the lifting of university immunity. Until now, uni- NBA Doctor is a Rising Star in Medicine versity rectors have opted to ride out the storm, rather than seek police in- By Theodore Kalmoukos into medicine was the challenge. not right and you can go in and cor- tervention. Special to The National Herald Then that I feel like I have been a rect it, There is a satisfaction that Amidst widespread speculation student for all my life. You never you are able to fix it. Another rea- that Greece will be the powder keg BOSTON – Dr. Steve Mattheos, the know everything and you have to son is there is a huge list of proce- setting off similar violent eruptions proud son of Demetrios and Debbie be humble enough to know that dures that you do. There are so across other major European cities, Mattheos of Lowell, Massachusetts, you will never know everything, many bones, so many joints. Urolo- and with an estimated 100,000 stu- is the rising star in the field of or- but most important is the personal gists have four procedures that they dents in France having taken the thopedic surgery, affiliated today satisfaction to be able to help some- do, while orthopedic surgeons have streets last week to protest unpopu- with the renowned New England body.” hundreds. There is a big challenge lar education reforms endorsed by Baptist Hospital of Boston. He is Speaking about his choice to en- and you never really get sick doing French President Nicholas Sarkozy, currently the sports medical doctor ter the field of athletic medicine, he the same thing over and over Athens' French Institute became a of the Boston Celtics as well as of said, “I was always involved in ath- again.” prime target for rioters seeking an in- Tufts University. letics since I could walk. I played He explained that “for the most ternational audience. Since he was a small boy, he sports, it is one of the things that part now this year because of a A group of about 30 masked indi- wanted to become a doctor. In an brings me joy and so as a job if you sports fellowship, I am doing most- AP PHOTO/ANDREAS LAZAROU viduals forced their way into the interview with The National Her- do not enjoy what you are doing ly arthroscopic procedures. You Santa Brings Hope courtyard of the French Institute in ald, he said, “I probably envisioned you would never ever go to work.” put the camera in the joint and use the upscale Athens district of Kolona- it when I was in high school, but I Asked why he chose orthopedic instruments outside of the joint so A man dressed as Santa Claus reacts to Greek Cypriot and Turkish ki just before noon on Friday Decem- did not really solidify it until my surgery, he said, “For a couple of everything is minimally invasive Cypriot children after arriving by a UN helicopter to the mixed vil- ber 19th. The assailants smashed freshman year in Amherst College. reasons, firstly I like to fix anatomy. lage of Pyla, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. Officials said the U.N. orga- property and firebombed a guard The most important aspect going You actually see something that is Continued on page 7 nized event aimed to foster reconciliation between the two sides. post at the building entrance. No- body was hurt in the attack, and the assailants fled before police arrived. “Clearly, it was an organized at- tack,” said French Ambassador Christophe Farnaud. Rival Leaders Vow to Find Solution to Cyprus Problem Cook County The motives for the attack were not clear but graffiti that was spray- NICOSIA Cyprus' rival leaders said began in March 2008, say that “as With this in mind, the two lead- He said that Secretary General’s Treasurer painted on nearby walls suggested Monday that although some we are entering a new year, we the ers added, “we would like 2009 to Special Representative in Cyprus that it was an attempt to link unrest progress has been made in their two Leaders would like to reaffirm bring peace and prosperity to Taye Brook Zerihoun will attend discussions within the framework our strong commitment to find a Cyprus, our common homeland, as that meeting and he will also be Honored for Continued on page 9 of the direct negotiations which be- comprehensive settlement of the well as the whole world”. present at the meetings which will gan in September with a view to Cyprus problem”. Answering questions after the be followed on the 12th and on the reach a solution of the Cyprus prob- In their statement, they said leaders departed from the UN 16th of January. Internship lem, this has been insufficient. “looking back to our efforts since headquarters in the buffer zone, Asked if he had told the Turkish However they reaffirmed their March 2008, we recognize that we UN Secretary-General’s Special Ad- side that the Annan Plan was a commitment to do everything in still need to consider a long list of viser on Cyprus Alexander Downer good opportunity for a solution and Program A Family’s Life their power to reach a settlement as chapters. We also assess that al- said that today’s discussion was a that it was a mistake for the EU to soon as possible. though some progress has been continuation on the external affairs accept Cyprus without a solution, By Eleni Kostopoulos and Struggles President of the Republic of made, it has been insufficient. But and powers and next year, at the Downer replied “I said nothing to Special to The National Herald Cyprus Demetris Christofias and we assure you we are resolved to first meeting on the 5th January, the media at all”.