Kidnappers of Alumil company manager demand 30 million euro ransom

Miercuri, 11 iunie 2008, 13:33 English | Regional Europe

The kidnappers of Giorgios Milonas, president and general manager of the Alumil company, have demanded 30 million euro as ransom, Greek police sources said on Wednesday, according to the AFP, quoted by Romanian news agency NewsIn. The Kidnappers, who confirmed the ransom in an anonymous phone call, let the family of the businessman a week-long deadline to come up with the money.

The ransom request was found in Giorgios Milonas' car.

Police are checking a possible involvement of a notorious Greek criminal, Vassilis Paleokostas, who two years ago managed to escape a high security prison near Athens.

Vassilis Paleokostas helped by his brother Nikolas kidnapped an important businessman in 1995, who was freed after his family paid a ransom amounting to the equivalent of 734,000 euro.

Giorgios Milonas is heading the Alumil company which operates in Greece and other Balkan countries including Romania, as well as in Middle East and Africa. Alumil controls 55.9% of Romanian company Alumil Rom Industry.

Alumil Rom Industry shares were suspended on Bucharest Stock Exchange trading on Tuesday following a similar measure at the Athens Exchange.