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The events on the island of Hydra gave a reason for the new negative comments about Greece in the international and, in particular, in the German press; there a formal tax audit of the Economic Police led to grotesque scenes. In order to stop them, forces of the riot police arrived especially from Athens.

The German magazine Spiegel hastened to condemn the incident on the island of Hydra, as it calls it in its online version a classic example of "the typical for Greece tax evasion."

"A country which is sinking more and more in austerity measures and a people that even now does not want to pay taxes", says the German magazine, which continues "the police resorted to using tear gas and riots continued all night."

The situation which had never been seen before began on Friday at noon in a fish tavern on the beach of the island. During an inspection conducted by staff of the Economic Police, it was found that in the tavern there are not sufficient receipts issued, as at more than 10 of the tables the necessary financial documents were not available.

The employees have asked to speak with the owners of the tavern. As such they were presented a 55-year-old woman, mother of the owners.

The woman was taken to a police station in Hydra, where she was invited to give explanations. Soon the woman started to simulate seizures, but not very convincingly to the present controllers.

While nevertheless taking the woman tothe island's Medical Centre, the Chief of the police station went himself to the hospital as well.

There eventually the owner and son of the 55-year-old woman came who said that he was responsible for the tavern, and his mother only helped in the kitchen.

He was arrested, and when in the evening they were trying to get him into the motorboat, by which he would have been brought to the prosecution in Piraeus (approx. 21:15 pm), local residents blocked the place where the boat was waiting and did not allow the head of the harbour and the employees from the Economic police to embark the owner of the tavern.

As stated in the message to port authorities, embarking the two detained on the vessel was revoked, since dozens of local residents had gathered in front of the police station in order to prevent their taking away.

Eventually the son of the 55-year-old woman spent the night under arrest, as before that, however, he managed to notify by telephone his friends and relatives on the island, who later gathered outside the police station (50-60 people), and asked the Chief to exempt the owner of the tavern.

Thus on Saturday morning on the island of Hydra a ship of port authorities arrived, which brought a troop of forces of the riot police to overcome the resistance from the local residents and to avoid escalation of tension. Meanwhile, throughout the day yesterday on the island checks by employees of the Economic Police continued, accompanied by the riot police.

Also yesterday afternoon, the owner of the tavern was taken to Piraeus, and the prosecutor has been informed about the story on the island.