Athens  - A Greek court on Wednesday ordered two policemen charged in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy last Saturday to be held in jail until trial.

The policemens lawyer says that according to a ballistics report, which is not yet official, the bullet which killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos had ricocheted off of an object before hitting the youth. The shooting was an accident, the lawyer says.

According to Greek law, people charged with a crime can only be held for up to three months without trial.

The shooting of the youth has triggered five days of violent and nationwide rioting in a country already furious with the government over economic policies which have not eased unemployment and poverty. (dpa)