Former Defense Ministry official gets term reduced

An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a conviction for bribe-taking and money laundering against former general secretary for defense procurements Yiannis Sbokos but reduced his term from life to 22 years.

The penalties for businessman Giorgos Kamaris and broker Petros Christodoulides were also cut with the former getting a five-year suspended term and the latter a five-year sentence that can be paid off.

Broker Giorgos Christodoulides and businessman Panos Germanos were cleared.

All five had been convicted in connection with a missiles deal in 1998 when Akis Tsochatzopoulos was defense minister. Tsochatzopoulos was given a 20-year term in 2013 but was released early this summer.