A 54-year-old Hellenic Air Force colonel has been remanded in custody and charged with selling classified military information to China following an eight-and-a-half-hour interrogation by a military prosecutor at the Athens Air Court.
During his testimony, the officer accepted full responsibility, saying he became involved without intent and placed himself at the disposal of authorities to assist the investigation.
“I sincerely apologise to my country, the Armed Forces, my colleagues and my family,” he said, adding he has “absolute trust in military justice” and is seeking a “fair and reasonable punishment.”
According to Ekathimerini, sources said the colonel told investigators he had no accomplices and that his trip to China was lawful and approved by his service.
His lawyer, Vassilis Heirdaris, said the officer initially believed he was dealing with a private Chinese company but was later pressured to provide NATO documents and sensitive information after references were made to his family.
Authorities allegedly recovered files from a mobile phone used to transmit classified material to Beijing.
The colonel faces charges carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and possible revocation of Greek citizenship. The investigation is ongoing.
Source: Ekathimerini.
