Akis Tsochatzopoulos

An Athens court on Friday handed down a one-year prison sentence to Viki Stamati, the wife of disgraced former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, over her escape from the Dromokaiteio Psychiatric Hospital in April 2015.

Former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos was ordered back to prison to serve out the remainder of a 19-year sentence for bribe-taking and money laundering on Monday.

An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a conviction for bribe-taking and money laundering against former general secretary for defense procurements Yiannis Sbokos but reduced his term from life to 22 years.

An Athens Court of Appeals has found former general secretary for procurements Yiannis Sbokos guilty of taking bribes in connection with the purchase of the TOR-M1 short-range missile defense system.

The court also upheld charges against Petros Christodoulides, a broker, and businessman Giorgos Kamaris.

Viki Stamati, the wife of former minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos walked free from court Thursday after facing an investigating magistrate in connection with another bribery case.

A five-member Athens appeals court on Monday approved the early release from prison of former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who had been convicted for money laundering in 2013, until his appeal is heard before the Supreme Court.

The lawyers of the 79-year-old minister submitted the appeal citing his ill health.

Nikolas Zigras, the first cousin of former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who is serving time for kickbacks from state procurement contracts, faces charges of money laundering after Swiss prosecutors said they had traced a bank transfer of 359,000 Swiss Francs (about 306,000 euros) to an account in his name.

Greece will either return to a state of much-desired normality or go through another period of serious division so that some people can satisfy their delusional obsessions. We just can't have it both ways.

Viki Stamati, the wife of disgraced former socialist minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, was released from prison on Monday after having served most of her sentence on money laundering charges.

A former head of arms procurements at the Defense Ministry, Yiannis Sbokos, convicted in a cash-for-contracts scandal that also saw ex-minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos jailed for 20 years, on Friday welcomed a court decision reducing his sentence by half.