Former Court of First Instance judge Evangelos Kaloussis was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail yesterday on charges of bribery in the first trial stemming from a cleanup of the judiciary system that was launched last year.

Kaloussis, who is also accused of sexual exploitation and money laundering, denied the charges to a three-member appeals court.

A breach of duty charge against Kaloussis was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

A judicial investigation into alleged trial fixing in Greece has been running for over a year and has involved a number of middle and high-ranking judges, an MP, lawyers and churchmen.

The court heard yesterday how Kaloussis asked prominent lawyer Alexis Kouyias for 50 million drachmas (146,735 euros) to release his client, Giorgos Iatridis, from prison as he awaited trial.

Iatridis had been imprisoned along with his wife, Meredith Preslar, on drug charges.

Preslar, however, was released by Kaloussis on the condition that she appear at his office twice a month.

“Before going to his office, he would tell me to wear something sexy to show off my legs,” Preslar told the court yesterday.

“He then told me that if I wanted to get my husband out of jail I would need to pay 50 million drachmas, which I didn’t have. He then asked me to sleep with him,” said Preslar.

“I refused and left,” she said.