Chavez foe to face corruption charges

Chavez foe to face corruption charges

CARACAS, Venezuela

Venezuelan prosecutors say a prominent opponent of President Hugo Chavez will soon be facing corruption charges.

Opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez is suspected of accepting donations from the South American country’s state-run oil company in 1998. The donations were purportedly authorized by the politician’s mother, Antonietta Mendoza de Lopez, when she was working for Petroleos de Venezuela SA.

Lopez allegedly used the donations to form an organization that later became one of Venezuela’s most popular political parties.

The Prosecutor’s Office announced Saturday that Lopez and his mother will face criminal charges. Lopez has denied any wrongdoing.

Intruders raid gold mining company

THESSALONIKI, Greece

About 40 masked attackers have raided the facilities of a prospective gold mine in northern Greece overnight, setting machinery and offices alight.

There is strong opposition to a gold mine and processing plant being built at Skouries in the Halkidiki peninsula, with locals objecting to what they say will be an environmental destruction.

The mining comany, Hellas Gold, is 90 percent owned by Canadian mining company Eldorado Gold. The Greek government has been eager for the foreign investment as it struggles through a deep financial crisis.

Firefighters and police said the intruders entered the facility before dawn Sunday, using gasoline bombs and flamable liquid to set alight machinery and containers used as offices. One security guard was kicked and taken to hospital.

Associated Press