A former banker, who splurged some of the $3.75 million he defrauded from the Commonwealth Bank on cocaine, a lavish lifestyle and a home, has been spared immediate jail because of the delay between his offending and sentence, The Agereports.
In 2008 and 2009, George Vrettakos abused his trusted position as a mobile lender to falsify documents and create three lines of credit using false names, and made 130 fraudulent transactions to personally gain $1.48 million.
The Commonwealth Bank discovered Vrettakos’ scam in 2010 but chose not to report him to police even though he made admissions and said he was prepared to implicate other bank staff in the racket.
George Vrettakos defrauded around $3.75 million from the Commonwealth Bank.
According to The Age, he told the bank’s investigators at the time: “We had beautiful lunches. We had beautiful wines. We snorted coke – a lot of it. We met a lot of girls. That’s what I got out of it. Stupid.”
The bank only filed a police report in 2018 whenThe Age raised questions about the case.
Vrettakos told police he defrauded his employer because he was under pressure at work, needed to repay a $150,000 debt over a failed business venture and that his offending came after his wife suffered a serious health problem.
Vrettakos was sentenced in the County Court on June 24.
By the time Vrettakos was charged and faced court for the first time last year, more than a decade had elapsed since his offending.
County Court judge, Gavan Meredith, on June 24 cited delay as a strong mitigating factor in Vrettakos’ favour and spared the 41-year-old an immediate stint in prison after he pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
“It is apparent that the delay in your case has been inordinate,” Judge Meredith said, according to The Age.
Vrettakos’ three-year jail term was wholly suspended for three years, meaning the only way he will go into custody is by breaching the court order and offending again.
Greek American student, Andreas Giannitsopoulos, is missing following the 12-storey Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, Miami on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The 21-year-old and his family are originally from Xanthi in northern Greece, but they have been living permanently in Texas for years.
Giannitsopoulos was studying Business Strategy and International Markets at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, but was staying with a family friend in Miami at the time of the building collapse.
“I’m waiting on my two best friends – one of them is my 21-year-old son. I’m crushed,” Kostas said.
Andreas Giannitsopoulos is missing following the 12-storey Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside.
The father said he was holding out hope that his son, who is an athlete, and friend would be found alive. But at the same time, he was bracing himself for bad news.
There are at least nine people dead and 156 people still missing after the residential building partially collapsed on Thursday. Search and rescue teams are racing to find survivors.
The cause of the collapse is not yet known but a 2018 engineering report showed that the building had “major structural damage” to a concrete structural slab below its pool deck that needed to be extensively repaired.
Due to the recent developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, from Monday 28.06.2021 through Friday 09.07.2021 the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney will only be handling emergency and strictly necessary consular cases, by appointment only.
Should you need to contact the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney for emergency cases that require an appointment, you can do so by email at grgencon.sid@mfa.gr or by phone on +61292845500.
Please note that already scheduled appointments for the above period (28.06.2021-09.07.2021) are postponed until further notice.
The Consulate thanks people in advance for their understanding and cooperation and they remain at people’s disposal for any further assistance.
If you had told me the solution to partying during Australia’s lockdown laws was a 5-foot-by-2.4-foot-by-6.2-foot box turned nightclub, I wouldn’t have believed you.
But it’s undeniable that Greek Australian twin brothers Harry Nathan Labrakis and Evangelos “Boonie” Labrakis are changing the party game, creating the world’s smallest mobile nightclub, entitled: The “Doof Shed”.
“Originally the intention was to provide one on one performances during covid, so I designed the shed to be one and a half metres long so that I could do one on one performances just to keep the spirit of dance music culture alive,” Harry said to The Greek Herald.
“I know Harry is all about the one on one stuff but for me it’s all about the doof. So Harry was all this one on one business, but I managed to fit seven people in there,” Evangelos chuckled.
The creation of the nightclub ultimately came, the twins explain, due to their “crazy love” for dance music.
“When we were 15 years old, we were DJing weddings, Greek weddings, just so that we could save money to buy better gear,” Evangelos said to The Greek Herald.
“We were just crazy about wanting to be DJ’s and just to be able to mix anything. We even cross-wired two stereo’s to be able to make sounds overlap each other. We ended up buying a couple of discmans and trying to overlay them.
“We’re just crazy about dance music.”
To create the Doof Shed, the twins repurposed a corrugated metal shed with the help of their father and painted the name with bright neon graffiti.
Harry Nathan DJing in the “Doof Shed.” Photo by Wesley Tan
The shed features a Pioneer DJ setup, focal sound system, intelligent lighting and a smoke machine. The nightclub offers a unique experience that comes during a time of struggle for Sydney’s club scene, which suffered greatly because of the pandemic.
It is even set up with a “Full Send” button to activate the full-on nightclub experience: smoke machine, strobe, flashing lights and lasers.
The Labrakis twins managed to break the previous Guinness World Record for the smallest nightclub, previously held by the 2.01 metre-high Club 28 (UK). However, while the intention was never to get a Guinness World Record, the boys discovered along the way that it had high potential for growth.
“That was not the intention at all,” Harry said, when asked about the World Record.
Photo by Wesley Tan
“The intention was to give back to a dance music community that has given us so much growing up and has taught us so much.”
“We somehow slipped into the Guinness thing by sheer chance to be honest. It wasn’t until a few of our friends were like, ‘Oh, man, this is a really small, bloody nightclub. Surely there’s some sort of thing to compare it to.'”
Harry Labrakis knows quite a lot about the Australian music scene, being an electronic music DJ who records his own material under the name Harry Nathan. According to Triple J, he offers a fresh take on lofi house & laidback disco, residing between the lines of reality and fantasy, both sonically and visually in his storytelling. Indie Shuffle also called his song “Harriet Tubman?” the best lo-fi house track of 2020.
Similarly, ‘Boonie’ is getting more active in the music-mixing community, making techno music via car engine recordings.
For the club’s grand opening, the twins created a ballot system and gave people an opportunity to experience the club in all it’s fashionable glory. All proceeds from the event went to mental health charities to aid those affected by the pandemic.
With new lockdowns in Sydney, people may just be ringing up the Labrakis boys and begging for a new taste of nightlife.
“We feel like there’s always a bit of fun to be had,” Harry concluded.
“No matter where you’re at. If you have that kind of mindset and a positive mindset, then you can get through anything.”
Norwegian footballer and Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland has been joining many other international celebrities in living the luxury life on the Greek island of Mykonos.
While the footballer is entitled to spend his money where he pleases, Greek newspaper ‘Sportime’ reported on Saturday that Haaland spent €500,000 in six hours at a restaurant in Mykonos and left a €30,000 tip for the staff. The report also claimed the footballer himself drank four bottles of Cristal Vintage champagne at €70 each.
After being picked up by English journalists, Haaland responded to the reports on Twitter, calling it ‘fake news’.
The venue sells itself as the perfect locale to enjoy the “lavish beach life of Mykonos.”
While Haaland may not have been expecting an apology, he certainly won’t find one from the newspaper, who stuck to their story in a subsequent article, saying they would “forgive” Haaland for making his “fake news” claim.
Haaland joins Manchester City forward Rihad Mahrez enjoying their time in Greece, alongside Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend Magic Johnson. Lionel Ritchie is another celebrity currently living it up on the Greek island of Mykonos, celebrating his birthday with his children Sofia Richie, Nicole Richie and Miles Richie.
Associate Prof Nicholas Doumanis, will present an online lecture about the Battle of Navarino, on Thursday 1 July, at 7.00pm, as part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars, offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.
The Greek Revolution was a genuine popular uprising against Ottoman rule, but it required foreign intervention in 1827, the first of many, to ensure its success. The Battle of Navarino and the subsequent treaties imposed on the Ottomans made clear that the most significant decisions in the eastern Mediterranean were made in the capitals of northern Europe. This lecture will discuss the Greek Revolution in its global perspective. Why did the Europeans become involved in the war? Why did they bother? Why did they intervene in the 1820s, and not in the 1770s, or the 1450s? It will explain why Europe made Greece possible and the terms for its intervention.
Nick Doumanis teaches History at the University of New South Wales. He has just completed the last volume of The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, with Emeritus Professor Antonis Liakos of the University of Athens, which reconsiders the history of Greece, Cyprus and the diaspora from 1912 through to the Covid crisis. He is also working on a history of the eastern Mediterranean world since ancient times, and running a project with the State Library of New South Wales to build an historical archival collection on Greeks in Australia.
When: Thursday 1 July 2021, 7pm Where: ONLINE ONLY through Facebook, Youtube.
Within the framework of the National Volunteer Week 2021, the Greek Orthodox Community of SA – Community Care Services honoured and acknowledged their volunteers with a Morning Tea in a beautifully set up Olympic Hall on Wednesday 23rd June 2021.
The event was attended by approximately 50 volunteers along with Mr Bill Gonis OAM, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia; Mr David Jacquier on behalf of Mrs Tracey Fox Acting CEO of Volunteering SA & Northern Territory; Mr Constantinos Papaconstantinou, Vice President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia and Mr Panagiotis Ppiros, General Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia.
The event was opened with the Acknowledgement of Country by Community Services Manager Mrs Jacqui Bowden, who in her succinct speech expressed her appreciation towards the volunteers for their commitment to supporting and honouring our older people.
In his speech, the President of the Greek Orthodox Community, Mr Bill Gonis OAM, highlighted the valuable and tireless contribution of GOCSA’s Women’s Fellowships (Taxiarchis, St. Constantine & Helen, Panagia, St. Nicholas), thanks to which GOCSA’s mission is much smoother.
“You share your time and talents without any compensation, and we are not exaggerating if we say that you are worth your weight in gold!”, Mr Gonis said.
The President also thanked our independent volunteers who assist with transport, shopping, friendly visits, exercise classes or help in the kitchen of our social support groups. Mr Gonis acknowledged and welcomed the volunteer committees of the affiliated groups of the Greeks of Egypt and Middle East Society, the Greek Union of Aged Pensioners of Thebarton & Suburbs, the Colossus Pan Rhodian Society and the Pan-Ikarian Brotherhood.
Mr Gonis said that it was “an honour to be here today to celebrate the enormous contribution that you and almost six million Australian volunteers make each year, and each year, these volunteers dedicate over 600 million hours to help others.
“The theme for National Volunteer Week in 2021 – was and still is to “Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine… In the current changing environment, where Australians are time-poor and experiencing higher degrees of uncertainty and stress, we need to reimagine how we do things. We need to collaborate more and adapt our volunteering practices and programs so we can better support and engage volunteers to continue the necessary work that they do.”
Mr David Jacquier, representing Mrs Tracey Fox, A/CEO at Volunteering SA & NT mentioned in his speech that “at the height of the pandemic last year, two out of three volunteers stopped volunteering which added to the existing decline in volunteer numbers which was down 7 percent in 2019/2020.
Planning your calendar for 2021? Be sure to include National Volunteer Week #NVW2021
Join us as we Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine. from Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd May 2021.
Many volunteers were temporarily stood down, and as volunteer programs get back up and running, some of these volunteers are sadly, not returning… Volunteering SA&NT, along with other State and Territory peaks are working with Volunteering Australia to engage with Government and non-Government decision makers to build an understanding of the impact of the pandemic on volunteering.”
He ended his speech adding that it was now vital for the sector to continue working together to support our amazing and invaluable volunteers – to look at ways to make volunteering easier and more accessible for time-poor South Australians.
After the speeches, delicious savoury pies and Greek sweets were served in small bamboo boats, followed by luscious fruit platters placed on the finely decorated tables. As a token of GOCSA’s appreciation, volunteers also found on their tables a Volunteer Certificate with their names printed on them, along with a “Thank you” cookie, which many volunteers said that they were not going to eat but keep as a souvenir.
Lastly, within the framework of GOCSA’s Ageing Well Community Network, the event concluded with a presentation by Mrs Annelise Van Deth from Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) who spoke about the role of ARAS, the rights of older people as well as elder abuse prevention.
In this way, GOCSA Community Care Services feel confident that our volunteers, as community leaders, are aware and can assist older Greek people know and understand their rights, can help them access information and supports, can assist in raising awareness against elder abuse in the community and understand what it means to age well in a safe and respectful environment.
Greek Briam takes roasted vegetables to a whole new level of delicious. You need just a few simple pantry ingredients, but the Greek flavours from spices, fresh garlic and parsley make all the difference.
Briam is thin roasted vegetable casserole, typically starring, potatoes, zucchini, red onions, and tomatoes. Pulling it together is a generous drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients
1 ¼ lb/ 570 g gold potatoes (about 3 medium-size potatoes), peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (about ⅛-inch thick)
1 ¼ lb/ 570 g zucchini squash (2 to 3 zucchini), thinly sliced into rounds (about ¼-inch thick)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp/ 3.6 g dried oregano
scant 1 tsp/1.2 g dried rosemary
½ cup/ 35 g chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil
1 28-oz/ 794 g canned diced tomatoes with juice (no-salt added organic tomatoes are recommended)
1 large red onion or 2 smaller red onions, thinly sliced into rounds (if large, you’ll want to cut the onion in half first, and then slice)
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the middle.
Place sliced potatoes and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Add fresh parsley, garlic, and a generous drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Toss to make sure the vegetables are well coated with the EVOO and spices.
Grab a large round pan on skillet (I used an 11-inch oven safe pan. See notes for more options.) Pour ½ of the canned diced tomatoes in and spread to cover the bottom of the pan.
Arrange the seasoned potatoes, zucchini, and sliced onions in the pan in rows (simply going around the shape of the pan and alternating.)
If you have any of the extra virgin olive oil and garlic mixture left in the mixing bowl, pour that all over the veggies, then top with the remaining diced tomatoes from your can.
Cover the pan with foil (tent foil a bit so it is not touching the veggies). Bake in 400 degrees F heated-oven for 45 minutes. Take pan out briefly to carefully remove foil, then place back in oven, uncovered, and roast for another 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are soft and charred and most of the liquid has evaporated. (ovens do vary, so pay attention and check as needed.)
Remove from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature with an added generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. (see suggestions for to serve along.)
The decision last week by the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens to award compensation to the relatives of a Syrian and an Egyptian man who died of carbon monoxide inhalation in January 2017 at the Moria refugee camp of on the island of Lesvos is seen as a milestone.
The court acknowledged the miserable conditions that prevailed at the reception and identification center and noted the inaction of the authorities regarding the provision of decent housing or adequate information to residents about the dangers they faced.
The two men died after lighting a fire in their tents to keep themselves warm during freezing weather conditions.
Twenty-year-old Egyptian Ahmed Elgamal and 46-year-old Syrian Mustafa Mustafa lived in the same tent and lost their lives four days apart, on January 24 and 28 respectively. Their families, represented by lawyer Silina Pavlaki of the law firm Pavlakis-Moschos & Associates, filed lawsuits against the Greek state in November 2018 and July 2019. Both lawsuits were joined into one.
The court’s decision obliges the Greek state to pay total compensation of 85,000 euros to the relatives of Elgamal and 250,000 euros to Mustafa’s family, which is larger.
Indicative of the conditions at the camp was that in January 2017 three people died in their sleep within a week and another was taken to an intensive care unit. All the deaths were attributed to acute carbon monoxide inhalation poisoning.
Greek-born WWII veteran Kostas Sarantidis, who later became known as Vietnamese war hero Nguyễn Văn Lập, tragically passed away on Friday in Athens, aged 94.
Born in Thessaloniki in 1927, Kostas was arrested during the Axis occupation of Greece and sent on foot to Nazi forced labour camps in Germany.
However, he managed to escape near Vienna and stole a military uniform which he used to disguise himself as a German until the end of the war.
Decorated Kostas Sarantidis meets with then Foreign Minister of Việt Nam Phạm Binh Minh in 2018. Credit: Vietnamese News Agency/VNA/VNS
After the end of the war, he found himself in France and joined the French Foreign Legion.
After two months with the Legion, he contacted Viet Minh spies and defected to them, carrying with him his rifle and a machine gun. He was given the name Nguyễn Văn Lập and served in various posts, participating in many battles. Eventually he rose to the rank of captain. In 1949, he was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam.
After the end of the war in 1954 and the division of Vietnam into northern and southern zones, Sarantidis moved to North Vietnam and retired from the army.
Sarantidis with the legendary General Võ Nguyên Giáp.
After his repatriation to Greece in the 1960s, Kostas joined the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and worked for helping Vietnam as well as promoting Greek-Vietnamese relations.
In 2013, he became the sole foreigner honoured with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces of Vietnam. Additionally, he has been awarded several honorary titles by both the Vietnamese Party and State, including the Friendship Order in 2011, the Victory Medal, Third Class and the Resistance War Medal, Second Class.
“Kostas Sarantidis’s life is tied in with the heroic moments of the Vietnamese people,” said Vu Binh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece.
