A pre-election “bonanza” worth 384,000 euros in extra public sector hirings features the signature of previous minister of state Nikos Pappas, a decision taken at a time when the inner circle of the Tsipras government knew snap elections would be declared.

Moreover, the decision affects an undetermined number of people declared “redundant” when various wider public sector agencies were eliminated by the previous governments in a bid to curb Greece’s public sector expenditures. The public sector “returnees” will now head to work, presumably as administrative staff, in three state-run media entities that were under Pappas’ direct supervision when his was minister.

The hirings were announced at the national broadcaster, ERT, the state-run news agency, ANA-MPA, and the press secretariat.

Pappas’ signature on the relevant decision shows July 30 — at a time when SYRIZA’s leadership had more-or-less decided to return the popular mandate and request snap elections. The publication date in the government gazette was Aug. 27.

Pappas, a close aide to Tsipras, even cited the exact figure that will burden the state budget from the new hirings — 384,200 euros — for the current year and the next.