Key suspects in Siemens trial get 15-year prison terms

Fourteen years after the launch of a trial of dozens of people linked to the Siemens bribery scandal, an Athens court on Monday passed down prison sentences of 15 years to the key suspects.

The former CEO of Siemens Hellas Michalis Christoforakos, Siemens Hellas' former commercial director Christos Karavelas and Prodromos Mavridis, former telecommunications manager for Siemens Hellas, all received 15-year terms. 

German nationals who once worked for the German electronics and engineering giant also got heavy sentences with Eduard Pierer getting 15 years, Thomas Ganswindt and Michael Kutschenreuter 13 years.

Reinhard Siekaczek, Wolfgang Rudolph, Hans Jagemann and Franz Richter each got seven-year terms. 

Six former executives of Greek state telecoms provider OTE got between 15 and 12 years while two businessmen got six years each and three bankers got between 12 and 13 years.

It remained unclear on Monday whether any of the terms might be suspended. 

The case relates to an estimated 70 million euros’ worth of bribes paid by the German electronics giant and its local subsidiary to clinch a contract with then state-owned telecoms provider OTE.

The convictions are for money laundering as the bribery charges have expired.