The sentence was handed down to Stefanos Kasselakis for the issue of his asset declaration, specifically for the misdemeanor charge related to a violation of the “source of wealth” law. It should be noted that the former president of SYRIZA was not present in court to defend himself but was represented by his lawyers.

The trial of the former SYRIZA leader was initiated after the completion of the criminal investigation conducted by the Athens First Instance Prosecutor’s Office on this matter.

The prosecutorial investigation began following the publication in March 2024 of documents regarding the existence of a company in the U.S. owned by Mr. Kasselakis, who was then president of SYRIZA. The investigation aimed to determine whether there were potential violations of the law, which prohibits party leaders from owning companies abroad.

The publication of these documents was part of the controversy that arose after the dismissal of the financial director of SYRIZA. It was later revealed that the party had borrowed money from the aforementioned company to cover financial needs of its employees.

When Mr. Kasselakis was called to explain himself before the prosecutor, he reportedly claimed that he was unaware of the specific prohibition.

After the completion of the investigation, the prosecution pressed charges against the former SYRIZA leader for violating the law on the declaration and control of the asset status of parliamentarians.

The Trial

During today’s trial at the former Evelpidon School courts, Thymios Georgopoulos testified as a prosecution witness, while Manolis Kapnisakis appeared as a defense witness. The prosecutor, however, in his recommendation, requested the acquittal of the defendant due to lack of intent, but the court did not adopt his recommendation and convicted Mr. Kasselakis.