The head of the Athens first instance courts' prosecutors office on Saturday ordered a preliminary investigation into allegations by Communist Party (KKE) chief Aleka Papariga of a "connection" between hooded, violence-prone youths who regularly infiltrate protests in central Athens only to clash with riot police and engage in vandalism and hooliganism.

ΚΚΕ has charged and has supplied what it called photographic evidence that hooded youths -- long described as self-styled anarchists or anti-state thugs -- are linked with police.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a 53-year-old man who suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday during clashes in central Athens between communist-affiliated labour groups and the hooded youths, was buried on Saturday in an east Athens cemetery. The man was identified as a construction worker and a member of the KKE-affiliated labour grouping Pame.