Former SYRIZA Minister Nikos Pappas was sentenced to a 2-year suspended prison term by the Special Court for his involvement in the 2016 television license case. Nikos Pappas was sentenced to 2 years suspended for three years and Christos Kalogristas, a businessman involved in the case, was fined 100 daily units (50 euros each unit), i.e. 5,000 euros, while he rejected the request of his legal defence for the recognition of mitigating factors. The prosecutor of the Special Court, Dimitris Asprogerakas, requested that the minutes be sent to the prosecutor with the testimony of the secretary of Christos Kalogritsa, Ethalia Diamantis, who had testified that “envelopes and bags were leaving Kalogritsa’s office for the SYRIZA party”.

Earlier, the Special Court found both former Minister of State Nikos Pappas unanimously guilty for his handling of the tender process for television licenses in 2016, as well as businessman Christos Kalogritsas, who was tried as an accomplice of the former minister for the charge of breach of duty.

Nikos Pappas: “This trial was done to target SYRIZA”

“The decision of the special court is in the spirit of the decisions on the NOVARTIS and SIEMENS cases. It seems that for some judges, anyone who damages the public is innocent and anyone whose actions secure money for the public is guilty. For some, neither the acquittal of Kretsou in the same case nor the prosecutor’s proposal that overturned the indictment mattered. It is perfectly clear. This trial was political. It was done to hide Mitsotakis’ looting of public money, the “blue bugs” (alleged illegal surveillance of political and business figures), and the “blue locusts”. This trial was done to hit our faction and to prevent the rich from paying again. But some judges will not decide on that. The Greek people will decide. Who by his mandate will bring justice everywhere. We have done our duty and will continue to serve the public interest”, commented Nikos Pappas.