The Athens Bar Association (DSA) suggested that a special committee be set up to assist the state in its legal efforts to claim the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum, according to a letter sent to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. The DSA said that the committee would be staffed by legal experts offering their services on a volunteer basis at no cost to Greek taxpayers.

Mr. Samaras is meeting with legal experts from Doughty Street Chambers on Wednesday, however there is concern by some groups that the high-profile legal team may not be a value-for-money solution for the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles. Leftist Avgi newspaper states that the legal team’s flight and car rental with chauffeur has cost the government 10,885.50 euros, according to an announcement in the Diavgeia journal for transparency. The article believes that the transport costs are just an indicator of what the total fees would amount to and queries why no formal competition was held for the commissioning of a legal team.

The Daily Mail has also criticized the cost of the £10,000 bill for their three-day stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne courtesy of Greek taxpayers.

The Daily Mail is particularly critical of the “media circus” surrounding the participation of the human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney in the repatration for the Parthenon Marbles and points to the police escort and traffic-stopping treatment usually afforded to a state leader.

Here is what Greece is paying for –

Just in case you’re wondering what she’s doing with the money? 

On her part, Ms. Alamuddin Clooney paid a portion of the money she’s getting for her legal fees to buy her new hubby a post-wedding gift. The surprise she ordered (between making decisions on the Parthenon Marbles and dining at Athens finest restaurant) was a shipment of handmade Murano cocktail glasses from Venice. The brightly colored tumblers are reportedly $100 dollars each. They are the same cocktails that were used during the wedding celebrations in Venice, and she combined them with a 12-piece set of matching silk napkins and hand-crafted napkin holders to match the glasses. All at a total price of $2,500!