Former PPC management, trade unionists to stand trial for illegal funds to GENOP union

Gazzetta team 22 Ιουλίου 2015 - 21:51

A total of 59 defendants, including former top management and trade unionists of the state-run Greek electricity company Public Power Corporation (PPC), were on Wednesday indicted to stand trial for incidents of illegal financing of the PPC trade union GENOP-DEH using PPC funds.

The Appeals Justices' Council issued an indictment ordering the 59 accused to stand trial before a criminal appeals court charged with repeated counts of breach of faith, committed in collusion, and for fraud at the expense of the PPC.

The evidence in the case file, based on an investigation conducted by the Inspector for Public Administration, refers to large sums approved and handed over to GENOP-DEH by the PPC that were either not used for the purposes specified or related to overpriced activities. It also includes a loan that the PPC extended to the trade union.

The sums in question exceed one million euros in the three years 2008-2010, in addition to a 500,000 euro loan that was never repaid and a 300,000-euro study that was never carried out, without the money returning to PPC.

Among those indicted are the former PPC CEOs Ioannis Paleokrassas, Arthouros Zervos and Panagiotis Athanasopoulos, the former head of the GENOP union Nikos Fotopoulos, as well as other staff and trade unionists.

The public prosecutor's report had recommended that nearly all the accused be acquitted and that only Athanasopoulos be indicted for the 300,000 euros given for the study that was not carried out.