A doctor at a public hospital in Thessaloniki has been sentenced to 28 months in prison, suspended for three years, after being found guilty of repeatedly accepting illegal payments from patients, according to a court ruling.

The doctor was convicted by the Three-Member Appeals Court of Thessaloniki for accepting bribes as a repeated and professional practice. The court recognized his previous lawful conduct as a mitigating factor and reduced the sentence by two months compared with the initial ruling.

The case involved allegations that the doctor requested and received so-called “envelope payments” from patients in exchange for performing angioplasty procedures.

Investigation into alleged payments

The case was brought to court following complaints investigated by the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Hellenic Police in Northern Greece. The alleged incidents took place between 2018 and 2020.

The initial case file included 20 alleged bribery incidents. The doctor was found guilty in half of them at the first trial, while the appeals court ultimately convicted him for nine cases.

According to the complaints, the amounts allegedly requested ranged from €100 to €5,000, depending on the case. The procedures were reportedly carried out either by bypassing waiting lists or through emergency admissions and outpatient departments.

Patients and relatives who had also faced charges over alleged bribery were acquitted by the court.

Doctor denied allegations

The cardiologist was removed from his university duties after the criminal investigation began. During his defense at the appeals hearing, he denied all accusations, claiming he was the target of a setup and professional disputes.

The same doctor has also received another 18-month suspended prison sentence in a separate alleged bribery case. That case has not yet reached a final ruling and remains pending before an appeals court.