Following a month-long hearing, the Athens Court of Appeals for Criminal Matters (Trial Chamber) has acquitted all four defendants in the trial for the alleged illegal hiring of employees at the Greek National Health Insurance Fund in 2013-2014.

The court’s decision found the ND politician Stamatis Poulis, his wife, Androniki Theofilatou, the former financial director of CEELPNO, Ekaterini Polyzou, and the former director of CEELPNO, Theodoros Papadimitriou, not guilty.

Delivering the acquittal judgment, the President of the Court said: “The first defendant is acquitted as the objective substance of the crime of disloyalty is not established. The Court considers that the drawing up and signing of the salary statements does not constitute an act of tort. The other defendants are also not guilty because the offense is of a monitoring nature.

It will be recalled that the case had been denounced by Pavlos Polakis who referred to issues of nepotism.