The Greek government is faced with a major issue of moral and political implications after the President and CEO of the Public Power Corporation (PPC), Emmanuel Panagiotakis, who was appointed by the current administration, has yet to step down from his post, despite being sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with a suspension on charges of “continuing breach of duty”.
His first-instance conviction by the Three-Member Complaints Court in Athens on February 28, 2017 concerns the cover-up of a female employee of the PPC who had been accused and convicted of passive bribery and money laundering. The second hearing is scheduled to take place on September 28 September.

The news coincides with the recent announcement of PPC to acquire the EDS energy trading company from the FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s vice-president, for EUR 4.8 million, just two months before the Prespes agreement.

The point that is especially damning is that Mr Panagiotakis was appointed the head of the Public Power Corporation by the Greek government while he had already been charged with the felony of a repeated breach of duty.
In March of 2017, Mr Panagiotakis was convicted to a two-year suspended sentence and the revocation of his political rights for one year, yet the government not only failed to reprimand him but effectively rewarded him by proposing the extension of his tenure last April.