Explosive device injures former Greek prime minister

Lucas Papademos and his driver were taken to hospital after the device exploded in his car.

Greek police experts search for evidence at the scene of an explosion site in Athens, on Thursday, May 25, 2017.An explosion inside a car in Greece's capital wounded former Prime Minister Lucas Papademos.
TRT World and Agencies

Greek police experts search for evidence at the scene of an explosion site in Athens, on Thursday, May 25, 2017.An explosion inside a car in Greece's capital wounded former Prime Minister Lucas Papademos.

Greece's former prime minister Lucas Papademos was injured when an explosive device hidden in an envelope detonated inside his car in central Athens on Thursday, police said.

He was taken to hospital with his driver, who was also hurt, a police official said, declining to be named. Greek state TV reported that Papademos's injuries were not life-threatening.

"Doctors are more worried about his eyesight," the police official said.

The 69-year old former Bank of Greece governor was in an armoured Mercedes provided by the bank, which contained the blast and likely aggravated his injuries, the television station reported.

Shocked

We are shocked. I wished to condemn this heinous act," media minister Nikos Pappa told the station.

Papademos was appointed caretaker prime minister in November 2011 at the height of financial crisis with a mission to help his country stay in the euro zone. He held the position until elections in May 2012.

He was bank governor from 1994 to 2002 and European Central Bank governor vice president from 2002 to 2010.

AP

Greece's former prime minister Lucas Papademos, seen here in this 2012 file pictures, was injured when an explosive device hidden in an envelope detonated inside his car. Picture: AP

Greek security has intercepted several attempted attacks on Greek, German and International Monetary Fund officials over the past two months.

An envelope containing bullets and addressed to Greece's general secretary for public revenue was intercepted at a post office branch in Athens on Tuesday.

In March, police intercepted eight suspect packages at a postal sorting centre in Athens, including some addressed to the IMF in Paris and the German Finance Ministry. The rigged package to the IMF exploded, injuring a postal employee.

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