Greek police farce turns into tragady

A detainee being transfered from a police station in Ayios Athanasios in Greece's second city, Thessaloniki absconded and went on a crime spree that ended with the murder of a bus driver. The 30 year old had been arrested on suspicion of theft and drug possession was in the process of being transferred to the Sindos detention facility when he escaped. Officers who accompanied the suspect in a patrol car  had neglected to handcuff the the detainee who then grabbed a police pistol which left in the car, commandeered the vehicle in order to escape. Later he abandoned the car, hijacked another vehicle and finally boarded a bus and for as yet unknown reasons shot and killed the driver.

According to Skai channel the body of the unfortunate bus driver remained untouched for more than eight hours as the police forensic team had not appeared until just before midnight on Saturday, despite the fact that the murder had taken place at approximately 3.30pm.

This is the latest in a series of police gaffes which have highlighted the Greek police's chronic lack of effectivesness in the face of rising crime rates. As if to underline  the chaotic state of law enforcement  the headquarters of the main opposition party, PASOK have been the target of molotov cocktail attacks five times in the last week alone. Yet the police have been unable to prevent or arrest anyone in connection with the attacks.