Convicts get public posts
The Justice Ministry has approved the appointment of nine convicts to public sector posts even as the debt-ridden government freezes hirings in the broader state sector to make much-needed savings, Kathimerini has learned. According to a recent copy of the Government Gazette, Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis has signed a decree paving the way for the convicts to be exonerated so that they can join the public sector, either in a state service or a local authority. Apart from the nine convicts whose records will be wiped clean in order to start a public sector career, the decree also mentions another 12 who will be exonerated to facilitate them in other projects such as bidding for a public works tender or opening a pharmacy. According to sources, the list of names includes that of an individual convicted for «the possession and sale of cannabis, possession of explosives, robberies, thefts, grievous bodily harm, illegal weapons’ possession and perjury.» The convict in question is to undertake a role in the municipal authority of Rethymno in Crete.
