Two correctional officers are being led to prison in handcuffs, after being convicted by the Three-member Criminal Appeal Court of Thessaloniki for importing and providing mobile phones, for a fee, to inmates of the Nigritas Detention Center in Serres, where they served.

It is about one 60 year old warden and one 38-year-old deputy wardenwho were sentenced to prison terms 9 years and 2 months (in the first) and 8 years and 8 months (in the second). The court did not recognize them no extenuating circumstanceswhile it was decided that their appeal would not have a deterrent effect on the execution of the sentence, with the consequence that they would go to prison.

The judges unanimously found them guilty of professionally bribing employees, importing and disposing of mobile phones in a detention center, as well as dereliction of duty.

The prison officer who received the longest sentence was additionally convicted of the offense of unlawful violence. He himself, unable to believe the verdict of the court, turning to his advocate, asked him: “we’re going to jail now?”. While after the answer he received, he screamed: “I will not bear this”.

The case began to be investigated following complaints made in 2020 by prisoners of Nigrita prisons. According to what they reported to the Police, “tariff» for the acquisition of a mobile phone ranged around 1000 euroswhile according to the same claims, they paid at least 250 euros monthly as “rent” for the maintenance of the devices.

“Everyone had their team. They had competition among themselves”, testified in court prisoners, one of the complainants, referring to the two accused prison officials, confirming what he had testified at the pre-trial stage.

The same witness stated that the supply of mobile phones was done “on the side”, through third parties, as well as the collection of the money by the defendants.

What did they apologize for?

In their apologies, the two prison officers, who were removed from Nigrita when the investigation began and transferred to other prisons, categorically denied the accusations, which they attributed to the complainants wanting to take revenge on them for the investigations being carried out against times in the particular penitentiary to find cell phones.

“I am forced to prove that I am not an elephant. In my 35 years as a prison officer, I have never given a cell phone to anyone. Instead, I helped the prisoners by giving them cigarettes and various products from the prison social service. I did what was legal, defying the risks I was running,” the 60-year-old warden apologized.

For his part, the 38-year-old deputy warden said that he has been working since the age of 22 as a prison officer, declaring pride in the way he has performed his duties over the years. “I never expected to be accused,” he said, among other things.

The prosecutor’s proposal is exculpatory

Their release, due to doubts, had been requested by the district attorney. Documenting her proposal, she said that the complainants “have moved into the dark area of ​​crime” expressing her reservations about the validity of what they reported. He characterized the relationship between prisons and prisoners as “conflictual”, stressing that the latter often choose the tactic of complaint, whenever they are referred to prison disciplinary boards, when mobile devices are found on them.