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 U.S. 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.
WilluChill News DeskSpecific city/county not stated, Connecticut · Published Updated
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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 statement. “His repeated efforts to skirt justice are shameful.
