A university doctor was sentenced by the Three -Member Criminal Court of Thessaloniki to 30 months in prison, with a 3 -year suspended suspension because he received “sachets” from patients for angioplasty surgery in a public hospital.

He was found guilty of bribery, continuously and professionally, by recognizing the earnings of the earlier legitimate life. He had preceded another conviction against him, again for bribery, but a case that has not been finalized (first -time sentenced to 18 months in prison, with a 3 -year suspended suspension)

The accused doctor was brought to trial following complaints investigated by the Northern Greece Internal Affairs Division of ELAS. and concerned the period from 2018 to 2020. The case file included a total of 20 cases of bribery, for half of which was found guilty, while the rest was formally acquitted.

The unfair benefits that, according to the complaints, received – depending on the case – of 100 to 5000 euros. Surgical operations appear to have been done either by detachment of the waiting list or by admission to the emergency or outpatient clinics of the hospital.

In these cases, patients and their relatives were brought to trial and acquitted of an employee bribery.

The cardiologist was removed from his university duties when criminal investigation began. He was not present and represented by his attorneys, through which he denied the charges, declaring a victim of a salary.

The same decision of the Criminal Court acquitted two of his colleagues who had become accused in the same investigation- the first for complicity in bribery and the second for the face of the exercise of public service.