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Greek Casino a Gamble

GREECE – As reported by the UK Guardian: "David Appel, the Israeli property developer at the heart of the storm that threatens to topple Ariel Sharon would have needed heavyweight political support for his plans to build a casino in an area of outstanding natural beauty near Athens, the Guardian has learned.

"Mr Appel would have had to rely on influential contacts to move ahead with plans to build a casino-cum-hotel complex on Patroclos, the owner of the Greek island said.

"Petros Yiatrakos, a prominent Athenian lawyer whose family has owned the deserted isle since the 1960s, told the Guardian that strict planning legislation made tourist development in the region 'extremely difficult'.

"…It would also have involved building a casino in a country where private casinos were outlawed until the late 1990s and still remain highly regulated by the state.

"On Wednesday, an Israeli court indicted Mr Appel on charges of paying $700,000 to Ariel Sharon's son Gilad, five years ago in the hope of bribing Mr Sharon, Israel's then foreign minister…"

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