Shipowner said to head crime racket

An Athens prosecutor on Tuesday brought a series of charges against a well-known shipowner and one of his associates, accusing them of running a criminal racket that involved the blackmail and extortion of other entrepreneurs.

According to the 30-page prosecutor’s report, the shipowner employed staff to observe rival businessmen who subsequently suffered blackmail, threats and often beatings.

The businessman and his associate, identified as V.R. and A.P. in the report, face charges of running a criminal organization and acting as moral accomplices to a series of crimes carried out by employees. The latter face charges of attempted manslaughter, causing grievous bodily harm and possessing arms.