Ex-Connecticut official flees to Greece before sentencing for corruption
A former senior budget official for Connecticut’s Democratic governor is now a fugitive in Greece after fleeing the US by boat and plane ahead of his sentencing for corruption, his lawyer and prosecutors told a federal judge on Thursday.Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 70, also sent his attorney a 10-page email accusing Gov.Ned Lamont of weaponizing the justice system against him, denying wrongdoing and saying his life, reputation and family relationships were ruined by the prosecution.He could have faced more than 10 years in prison at his sentencing Thursday in federal court in Bridgeport.Diamantis, who was also a former Democratic state representative, was convicted by a federal jury last year of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes from 2018 to 2021, in exchange for helping the companies keep and obtain work on multimillion-dollar school construction contracts.He told reporters at the time that he was afraid to go to prison.The prospects of returning Diamantis — who holds both American and Greek citizenship — to the US are unclear.Greek courts have upheld the claim that extradition of Greek nationals is forbidden.Authorities and Diamantis’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, did not say when Diamantis left the US.Federal prosecutors said he traveled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas, then boarded a plane to London.They said that although Diamantis had surrendered his US passport, he obtained a Greek passport.Pattis said he was told by Diamantis during a phone call Wednesday night that he was in Greece and would not be attending the sentencing.US District Judge Stefan Underhill set a new sentencing date for Sept.
30 that would go forward with or without Diamantis in attendance.Connecticut officials were quick Thursday to condemn Diamantis for fleeing the country and took steps to stop his state pension payments.“Kosta Diamantis betrayed the public’s trust and needs to be held accountable for his actions,” the governor said in a ...