A three-justice Athens appellate court on Monday handed down mostly the maximum possible prison sentences to defendants convicted last month in the more than decade-old Siemens bribery and money laundering case – although four of the most prominent suspects were tried in absentia after fleeing the country years ago. Amid the protracted investigation and subsequent court proceedings, former Siemens Greece CEO Michalis Christoforakos fled to Germany in 2009, where he also holds citizenship, while a one-time executive for the previously state-run telephony utility, OTE, Christos Karavelas, reportedly fled to South America. Both men were handed down a 15-year term and…
