Fifteen defendants were acquitted in a case involving an alleged €43 million overpricing of works on the Egnatia Odos highway, running across northern Greece, a court said.
The Thessaloniki court cleared all defendants following over 30 hearings in the trial concerning projects carried out between 2008 and 2009.
Authorities had charged them with fraud against a private legal entity, attempted fraud against the European Union, forgery and moral instigation.
The defendants included supervising engineers for the project, members of former administrations and the legal representative of the contractor company.
The same individuals were also involved in another case concerning alleged €32 million overpricing on the same highway and during the same period in connection with the construction of five tunnels in the Grevena region.
Two of the engineers received 13-year prison sentences but were released a few months later after filing requests to suspend their sentences. The remaining convicted defendants were released on bail pending a second trial. [AMNA]
