Some 2,000 local officials face ax over debts

Approximately 2,000 local government officials are facing the ax nearly a year after assuming office due to unpaid utility bills, traffic fines, property taxes and other debts, some of them for paltry sums, following the conclusions of inspections by the relevant authorities that have taken more than 12 months to be carried out.

The case of Dr Efstratios Gelagotis is telling of the broader systemic issues, as local officials can lose their positions for debts often incurred without their knowledge. A general practitioner who was reelected to the Municipal Council of West Lesvos, he faces dismissal over a name mix-up at the water utility company that saw him saddled with a 1,600-euro bill belonging to another customer.

Like several others, Gelagotis is challenging the decision at the country's highest administrative court, though this will come at a personal cost of...