ATHENS, Oct. 30 ((Xinhua) -- A Greek criminal appeals court on Monday unanimously upheld a guilty verdict for money laundering for former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos and 15 other defendants in a kickbacks trial, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
The court found all defendants guilty of receiving kickbacks for the purchase of the TOR-M1 missile system and submarines for the Greek Armed forces two decades ago.
The only differentiation between Monday's verdict and the original verdict of the lower court is in the amount of cash considered to have been given to the former minister via his close associate Yannis Sbokos. This has been adjusted downward from 40 million euros (46.4 million U.S. dollars) to 10 million euros.
The judges were expected to announce on Wednesday the sentencing.
During the second trial, which lasted three years, one of the defendants passed away, while all the rest -- with the exception of Sbokos -- are not held in prison.
Tsochatzopoulos, 78, was released last May on health reasons after undergoing a bypass surgery.
He was serving a 20-year prison sentence after his conviction in 2013 for receiving bribes linked to arms procurement contracts during his term as minister between 1996 and 2001.
He was the highest former official to be convicted for corruption in Greece in several decades.
A part of the bribes has still not been traced in the offshore companies the former official, his relatives and associates had established.
It was not yet clear on Monday whether the former minister or other defendants will return to prison after the second sentencing.
