Former Connecticut official flees to Greece before corruption sentencing

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A former senior Connecticut budget official has fled the United States for Greece days before he was due to be sentenced for corruption, according to US prosecutors and his lawyer.

Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 70, a former Democratic state representative and senior official under Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, left the US before his scheduled sentencing in federal court in Bridgeport on Thursday.

Prosecutors told the court that Diamantis travelled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas before flying to London and then travelling to Greece.

Diamantis, who holds both US and Greek citizenship, reportedly surrendered his US passport before obtaining a Greek passport.

His lawyer, Norman Pattis, said Diamantis contacted him by phone on Wednesday night and told him he was in Greece and would not attend the sentencing.

Diamantis was convicted by a federal jury last year of extorting thousands of dollars in bribes from private contractors between 2018 and 2021.

The case centred on his former position as director of Connecticut’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review.

Prosecutors accused him of demanding payments from contractors in exchange for helping them obtain and retain multimillion dollar school construction contracts.

Witnesses during the trial testified that they gave Diamantis envelopes containing cash at several locations, including a restaurant bathroom, a doughnut shop and his home.

Some of the alleged payments were referred to in messages using terms including “birthday cards,” “pars” and “birdies.”

Diamantis admitted receiving money but maintained that it was legitimate consulting income.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of between 10 and 12 years.

Pattis had argued for a sentence without prison time but with strict conditions of release.

Following the hearing, US District Judge Stefan Underhill set a new sentencing date for September 30. The hearing is expected to proceed whether or not Diamantis is present.

Diamantis accuses governor of political persecution

In a 10 page email sent to his lawyer, Diamantis denied wrongdoing and accused Governor Lamont of using the justice system against him.

He claimed the prosecution had destroyed his reputation, career, finances and family relationships.

Diamantis also alleged that Lamont used political influence to pursue the case against him. Those allegations have not been established in court.

Lamont condemned Diamantis’ decision to leave the country.

“Kosta Diamantis betrayed the public’s trust and needs to be held accountable for his actions,” the governor said.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong also criticised Diamantis’ disappearance and said it would not stop efforts to protect the state and taxpayers.

Diamantis is also facing a separate federal criminal case in which he is accused of accepting bribes to stop a state audit of an eye doctor accused of Medicaid fraud.

His decision to flee to Greece could now complicate efforts by US authorities to secure his return for sentencing.

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