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An envelope with suspicious contents caused confusion at the Ministry of Justice in Athens earlier today.

The officers checking the mail were suspicious about its contents and immediately alarmed the police.

Experts from the explosive mechanisms disposal department got to the Ministry minutes later. They evacuated the staff and inspected the contents of the package.

The controlled explosion proved that the package contained explosive materials.

According to information from police sources, a well-dressed young man sent the envelope yesterday from a courier office in the Athens suburb of Nea Ionia.

A little later the police announced that 'a hand-made explosive mechanism put in an envelope folder and wrapped in wrapping paper was disposed of in a safe place outside the building of the Ministry of Justice.’

The package was addressed to the Justice Minister and the sender was Iindependent initiative of the practicing lawyers.

According to the police, "the investigation conclusions show that an employee of a courier company delivered the envelope this morning. The envelope seemed suspicious to the staff of the Ministry of Justice checking the mail and they informed the police authorities."

Police made a new warning to all government departments, organisations and courier companies to be very careful in checking the mail and take appropriate security measures in cases of suspicious envelopes or objects.

The authorities associated the case with the package-bombs that were sent to foreign embassies in Athens in early November. Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei took responsibility for their sending then.

Proceedings against some members of the terrorist organization started in the middle of January but the essence of the case wasn’t touched upon. The judicial council made three unsuccessful attempts to appoint public defenders for the young people. They went on hunger strike and on Monday their own defenders were appointed again. The case will continue tomorrow and it is of great interest because defendants are expected to appear in the courtroom after they were absent from four hearings at least.