Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-01-05 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Government aims to receive 1.8-bln-euro tranche to repay debts to private sector in March [02] Top court prosecutor orders reopening of cases involving self-proclaimed billionaire --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Government aims to receive 1.8-bln-euro tranche to repay debts to private sector in March The government aims to receive in March the 1.8 billion euros which will be spent to repay state debts towards the private sector, sources from the finance ministry said on Thursday, responding to press reports. The same sources added that the disbursement of the tranche is not linked to the second program review and that the only condition is for the government to lower its net arrears of the general government by at least 80 percent of the amount paid to Greece – a target that was achieved at the end of September 2016 and will be achieved again at the end of February. If there was any change in the existing agreement, the institutions would have informed the government and not individual journalists, the sources added. [02] Top court prosecutor orders reopening of cases involving self-proclaimed billionaire A Supreme Court prosecutor ordered on Thursday the reopening of all cases relating to a self-proclaimed billionaire, to investigate allegations he is encouraging people not to pay their taxes and social security contributions. Artemis Sorras, of who very little is known, formed a group called "Assembly of Greeks" and claims he has billions of euros which could be used to buy back Greece's debt from its creditors. A second file was prepared by the prosecutor of the Peloponnese and contains authorizations submitted by citizens to the tax office and social security funds in which they ask that their debts be collected by the bonds Sorras claims to have. A third file, concerns the distribution of the aforementioned authorizations at the Athens International Airport by members of Sorras' group. Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis has submitted a file with numerous press reports looking into Sorras' activities. The ministry of justice has also asked the president of the Supreme Court, Vasiliki Thanou, to look into a ruling by a lower court which acquitted Sorras of the crime of disseminating false news, after a lawsuit filed by New Democracy vice-president and MP, Adonis Georgiadis.