Vassilis Paleokostas
Encyclopedia
Vassilis Palaiokostas or Paleokostas ' onMouseout='HidePop("97093")' href="/topics/Trikala_Prefecture">Trikala prefecture
) is a Greek
fugitive
who escaped by helicopter twice from the Greek high-security Korydallos prison
while serving a 25-year sentence for kidnapping
and robbery
. He is believed to have been the mastermind of the kidnapping of Giorgos Mylonas, a Greek industrialist, as the ransom paid was traced back to him. His brother, Nikos Palaiokostas, is also in prison for 16 bank robberies.
The government of Greece faced intense criticism after his second escape from the same facility, and the government responded by firing three justice ministry officials and arresting three prison guards.
What makes him famous in his hometown is the fact that it is said that he has given most of the stolen money to poor families, making him a local "Robin of the Poor", reminiscent of the famous tale of Robin Hood
.
. They hijacked the helicopter using a pistol and hand grenade, and forced the pilot to fly to the prison. When the helicopter arrived, guards believed the helicopter was a visit from prison inspectors. The helicopter flew the prisoners to a cemetery nearby, where they transferred to motorcycles and fled from there.
Palaiokostas was re-captured two years later, on August 2, 2008, in Thessaloniki
.
by helicopter. He and his accomplice Alket Rizai, 34, climbed a rope ladder thrown to them by a female passenger in the helicopter as it flew over the prison courtyard.
Guards on the ground opened fire and the woman fired back with an automatic rifle. No injuries were reported due to the short gun fight, although one prison guard injured himself while trying to pull out his gun.
Police said an elderly couple found the helicopter abandoned in the Athenian suburb of Kapandriti
near a highway north of Athens, with its fuel tank leaking from a bullet hole.
The pilot was bound and gagged, with a hood over his head. He told police the helicopter was chartered by a couple who said they wanted to go from the town of Itea
in central Greece
to Athens. The couple had chartered the helicopter a number of times in the previous weeks, with the woman posing as a business woman. According to the pilot who claimed to have been forced into taking part in the escape, Palaiokostas and Rizai were delivered to their getaway car.
Alket Rizai was re-arrested in November 2009.
Trikala Prefecture
Trikala is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Thessaly. Its capital is the town of Trikala. The regional unit includes the town of Kalampaka and the Meteora monastery complex.-Geography:...
) is a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
who escaped by helicopter twice from the Greek high-security Korydallos prison
Korydallos Prison
Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum-security men and women. It is located in Korydallos, Piraeus. Its most famous detainees are the November 17 terrorist members and Colonel Nikolaos Dertilis, the last surviving member of the military junta. Korydallos...
while serving a 25-year sentence for kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
. He is believed to have been the mastermind of the kidnapping of Giorgos Mylonas, a Greek industrialist, as the ransom paid was traced back to him. His brother, Nikos Palaiokostas, is also in prison for 16 bank robberies.
The government of Greece faced intense criticism after his second escape from the same facility, and the government responded by firing three justice ministry officials and arresting three prison guards.
What makes him famous in his hometown is the fact that it is said that he has given most of the stolen money to poor families, making him a local "Robin of the Poor", reminiscent of the famous tale of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
.
2006 escape
Two accomplices hired a trip on a sight-seeing helicopter from Agios Kosmas, a coastal suburb of AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. They hijacked the helicopter using a pistol and hand grenade, and forced the pilot to fly to the prison. When the helicopter arrived, guards believed the helicopter was a visit from prison inspectors. The helicopter flew the prisoners to a cemetery nearby, where they transferred to motorcycles and fled from there.
Palaiokostas was re-captured two years later, on August 2, 2008, in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
.
2009 escape
On the afternoon of Sunday 22 February, Palaiokostas again escaped from Athens' Korydallos PrisonKorydallos Prison
Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum-security men and women. It is located in Korydallos, Piraeus. Its most famous detainees are the November 17 terrorist members and Colonel Nikolaos Dertilis, the last surviving member of the military junta. Korydallos...
by helicopter. He and his accomplice Alket Rizai, 34, climbed a rope ladder thrown to them by a female passenger in the helicopter as it flew over the prison courtyard.
Guards on the ground opened fire and the woman fired back with an automatic rifle. No injuries were reported due to the short gun fight, although one prison guard injured himself while trying to pull out his gun.
Police said an elderly couple found the helicopter abandoned in the Athenian suburb of Kapandriti
Kapandriti
Kapandriti is a town near Marathon in the north of Attica in Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos, of which it is a municipal unit.Kapandriti is linked by road to Nea Makri, Afidnes, and Kalamos...
near a highway north of Athens, with its fuel tank leaking from a bullet hole.
The pilot was bound and gagged, with a hood over his head. He told police the helicopter was chartered by a couple who said they wanted to go from the town of Itea
Itea
Itea may refer to:*Itea , a genus of plants that includes Itea virginica, the scientific name of Virginia Sweetspire.*places in Greece:**Itea, Evros, a village in the southeastern part of the Evros Prefecture...
in central Greece
Central Greece
Continental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
to Athens. The couple had chartered the helicopter a number of times in the previous weeks, with the woman posing as a business woman. According to the pilot who claimed to have been forced into taking part in the escape, Palaiokostas and Rizai were delivered to their getaway car.
Alket Rizai was re-arrested in November 2009.