An eight-year prison sentence and a €30,000 fine was imposed by the Thessaloniki Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies on the Serres TEI professor who was accused of demanding “envelope” bribes from his students in order to pass them in courses.

The same court also found guilty two tutoring school owners — a married couple — who appeared to have received the students that the 67-year-old professor was failing in order to then “prepare” them. They were each sentenced to five years imprisonment and a €20,000 fine. A second professor who was also on trial was acquitted, as his involvement in the case was not proven.

The defendants were found guilty of repeated and professional bribery as well as extortion, depending on the case. The court recognised as a mitigating factor their subsequent “good behaviour”. Their appeals will have a suspensive effect on the execution of their sentences.

All defendants denied the heavy charges against them.

The trial began about two months ago with dozens of students testifying. One graduate of the Department of Accounting said she had heard that there was a professor “who gets paid to pass you”.

“Along with other classmates, I also went to the tutoring school — each course was €250. They gave us the topics and then we went and wrote the exams. The topics he taught us were exactly what came up. He gave the topics to the tutoring school teachers. One time the exact same exercise fell with the exact same numbers. In all of them I got a grade of 5,” she said.

The case began being investigated in 2018 after complaints were filed with the Internal Affairs Directorate of Northern Greece of the Hellenic Police.

The professor was temporarily remanded in custody after his deposition before the Serres investigative authorities, as was the tutoring school owner. The owner’s wife had been released under restrictive conditions.