Disciplinary investigation against Court of Appeals judge who altered the composition of the court in case involving major hotelier

A scent of ungraded emerges from a lawsuit presently unfolding astatine the Athens Administrative Court of Appeals and engaging some transgression and administrative justice. The fiscal stakes scope €100 million. The lawsuit originates from a long-standing fiscal quality betwixt a well-known edifice radical with roots successful Crete and the Hotel Chamber of Greece (HCG).

The quality began 27 years ago, when, up of the 2004 Olympic Games successful Athens, the edifice radical signed a 1999 lease statement with EOT for a 326-stremma crippled successful Lagonisi, with a duration of 40 years.

The concession of the onshore went done galore stages and the declaration yet failed owed to delays.

The group, prompted by a missive from the precocious Aristotelis Divanis, past president of the Hotel Chamber of Greece, addressed to the Ministers of Development and Finance and the CEO of the Hellenic Tourist Properties SA (ETAD), which managed EOT assets, regarding booking practices and prevention of unfair competition, considered that these letters led to the cancellation of the lease statement betwixt ETAD and the edifice group.

Thus, the radical filed a lawsuit/application earlier the Athens Administrative Court of First Instance against the HCG, claiming mislaid profits owed to the cancellation of the agreement. It demanded €60,925,868 positive an further €3 cardinal for motivation damages owed to reputational harm.

After decades, the claimed amount, including ineligible interest, has risen to €100 million. In fact, arsenic the lawsuit volition beryllium retried, the magnitude whitethorn transcend €100 million.

Appeal

The suit failed astatine the archetypal 2 levels (First Instance and Court of Appeal) and aft cassation it reached the Council of State, which successful 2023 partially annulled the determination of the Administrative Court of Appeal and remanded the lawsuit backmost to the Athens Court of Appeal, arsenic clarifications of factual circumstances were deemed necessary.

A three-member sheet of the Athens Administrative Court of Appeal heard the lawsuit again successful nationalist league connected 19/5/2025, presided implicit by Appeals Court President A.T., reporting justice A.M., and subordinate justice E.-M.L.

However, aft the proceeding and portion the lawsuit was successful the deliberation stage, A.T. engaged successful a bid of repeated changes to the lawful creation of the court, which were recorded successful the authoritative minutes of the proceedings.

Two of the minutes showing changes successful the creation of the tribunal successful the edifice case

According to information, astatine the opening of the deliberation that started connected 19/1/2026, the president informed the different members that helium intended to alteration the creation of the court. After objections, A.T. assured that the creation would stay arsenic it was.

Thus, deliberation began, and the reporting justice A.M. stated she would cull the edifice group’s fiscal claim.

In contrast, the president stated helium had studied the lawsuit and held a antithetic view. The 3rd member, E.-M.L., declared she reserved judgement for the adjacent deliberation.

Before the next, 2nd deliberation connected 16/2/2026, the president announced helium had changed the creation and that E.-M.L. was nary longer a member, without her having declared immoderate authoritative impediment oregon unit majeure. She was replaced by G.K.

The different 2 members objected, and the president reinstated E.-M.L. However, successful the adjacent deliberation, the president made different change, claiming that determining the creation was solely his responsibility, triggering caller objections from the 2 different judges.

He was past forced to reconstruct the archetypal composition. The 2 members filed a study against the president to the Council of State and the General Commission of Administrative Courts, and submitted a petition to retreat from the case; 4 days later, the president did the same.

Summons for testimony

The E.-M.L. and A.M., arsenic portion of a preliminary investigation, person been summoned to attest earlier the Prosecutor’s Office successful the coming days. According to colleagues, the president of the sheet whitethorn look charges including breach of duty, falsification of judicial documents, and usurpation of the secrecy of tribunal deliberations.

At the aforesaid time, Council of State President Michalis Pikramenos has already initiated disciplinary proceedings regarding the changes successful the court’s creation and has assigned the disciplinary record to Councillor Konstantina Lazaraki. It has been emphasised that changes successful tribunal creation are impermissible, arsenic they interruption the law rule of the lawful judge.

Council of State President Michalis Pikramenos

According to information, President A.T., successful a study submitted to the General Commission of Administrative Courts—also communicated to the President of the Council of State—claims that the allegations against him are mendacious and malicious.

The reports assertion helium attempted to alteration the creation instantly aft the archetypal deliberation, allegedly upon realising the reporting judge’s antagonistic recommendation.

It should beryllium noted that successful the past, amerciable enactment by administrative judges had besides been revealed successful the courts connected Riankou.

Official connection of the General Commission of Administrative Courts

Following a work connected 3 May 2026 successful the Sunday variation of PROTO THEMA, we deem it indispensable to pass that the reports submitted to the General Commission of Administrative Courts by members of a sheet of the Athens Administrative Court of Appeal, on with each applicable documents deemed necessary, were instantly forwarded to the competent disciplinary bodies of the Council of State.

We expect the swift clarification of the lawsuit and the attribution of immoderate responsibilities to those recovered to beryllium involved, truthful that nary shadiness is near implicit administrative judges, with each the adverse consequences this whitethorn person for the prestige of justness successful general.

Statement of the Association of Administrative Judges

We are pursuing with peculiar interest the reports that person travel to airy regarding a lawsuit of highly precocious fiscal value, successful which determination are alleged aboriginal interventions successful the creation of the tribunal and the authoritative minutes of the hearing.

It indispensable beryllium emphasised that the probe was initiated by the judges themselves done disciplinary reports and that the competent judicial bodies person instantly taken action.

We telephone for afloat transparency and, if judicial officers are recovered to beryllium involved, for disciplinary and transgression responsibilities to beryllium attributed without immoderate leniency.