Former mayor found guilty of breach of trust over €4 mln deficit released pending appeal
A former mayor and an official accused of breach of trust in relation to a 4-million euro deficit in his municipality’s coffers has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment but released pending appeal.
The deficit occurred in the municipality of Edessa, in Central Macedonia, from 2001 and 2010.
The two defendants, one of whom was the head of the municipality’s financial services, were acquitted on the same charge in November 2021, as the court found that they had not acted with malice.
However, the Supreme Court appealed their acquittal on the grounds that there was insufficient justification in the court’s decision. Two defendants where then retried by a new court.
A third defendant, the municipal treasurer, has since died.
According to the indictment, the then mayor and the head of financial services did not take the necessary actions to control the actions of the treasurer and to ensure proper financial management.
While the prosecutor called for their acquittal at their retrial, the bench found them guilty.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, pointing out that chartered accountants hired in 2002 never mentioned that the municipality had a deficit.
