Thessaloniki ex-mayor, official get sentences cut

A Thessaloniki appeals court on Wednesday commuted an eight-year sentence passed down last year to the city’s former mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos for money laundering and embezzlement to a three-year term.

Michalis Lemousias, who served as the municipality’s general secretary, and was also given an eight-year sentence last year, also saw his term cut to three years.

The court reduced the former officials’ original terms after taking into consideration their lack of other convictions.

It ruled that the laundered sums were 259,000 euros in Papageorgopoulos’ case and 464,000 in Lemousias’ case while clearing both defendants of charges of embezzling 15.7 million euros as no evidence was found of such a sum.