28.2.13
The current mayor of Thessaloniki Giannis Boutaris has expressed his intention to demand the return of the money that recently-convicted former mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos was found to have embezzled. In an interview on state television, Mr. Boutaris explained that “as a municipality we must look for the money, we have no vengeful intentions towards the defendants”.
The current mayor also added that “the sentence was harsh, there is no doubt”, but also explained that such a sentence “reflects the intention of Justice to satisfy public sentiment regarding the way the state deals with corruption”. Mr. Boutaris concluded that “the management of public funds requires great attention and responsibility”.
