The two individuals had been granted protected-witness status during the original investigation into alleged bribery of high-ranking Greek politicians by Novartis. Their testimonies played a central role in triggering a high-profile political confrontation over whether key members of previous governments had improperly favoured the pharmaceutical giant.

Convictions

“Maximos Sarafis”, a former Novartis executive, was convicted for statements he made regarding Adonis Georgiadis, Andreas Loverdos, and Nikos Maniadakis.

“Aikaterini Kelesi” was convicted over accusations involving Adonis Georgiadis, Yiannis Stournaras, Antonis Samaras, and Andreas Loverdos. Three charges were dismissed as time-barred.

The court recognised a mitigating circumstance for both defendants.

Prosecutor’s stance

Only days earlier, the appellate prosecutor had called for their conviction, arguing that the two witnesses bore significant responsibility for the “character assassination of political figures” without presenting any substantiating evidence.

“There is no evidence of bribery of political officials,” the prosecutor said, adding that the testimonies lacked corroboration and relied heavily on assertions attributed to Konstantinos Frouzis, former head of Novartis Greece. She described Frouzis as “a dark personality”, arguing that his alleged influence over political figures should not have been accepted uncritically, especially given his departure from the company amid accusations of financial irregularities.

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