22.2.13
The Supreme Court has confirmed the appeal decision to sentence former New Democracy MP Evangelos Papanikolaou and his business partner Stylianos Stergiou to five years imprisonment on charges of fraud. The MP and his partner would collect large sums in exchange for job placements in the public sector.
The Supreme Court rejected the claims of appeals of both men, who were originally sentenced to six years each. During the appeal process their sentence was reduced to five years. The Supreme Court judges explained that both Papanikolaou and Stergiou were fully aware of the lies they told their victims, since they did not have the ability to appoint anyone in the public sector.
The two men managed to collect 73,366 euros from nine parents wanting to secure a public sector job for their children. The Supreme Court held that Papanikolaou and Stergiou made it a “habit” to secure a steady income.
