- Sign up for our US Editor's Picks newsletter to get all the biggest exclusive stories
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
A former Connecticut official brazenly claimed he was innocent during a TV interview after he fled to Greece to avoid being sentenced for a bribery conviction.
asserted
he → sign → conviction
Konstantinos 'Kosta' Diamantis, 70, was convicted in October 2025 of 21 counts related to extortion and bribery that prosecutors said stemmed from his time leading Connecticut’s Office of School Construction Grants & Review.
asserted
prosecutors → convict → Review
Diamantis extorted and received thousands of dollars in bribes from two firms that landed work on publicly funded school construction projects that he oversaw.
asserted
he → extort → that
Facing more than ten years in prison, he did not show up for his sentencing hearing on Thursday.
asserted
he → face → Thursday
Federal prosecutors soon revealed that while out on a $500,000 bond, Diamantis had fled to Greece, where he is also a citizen.
asserted
he → reveal → Greece
They claimed that he had traveled from Connecticut to Florida before taking a boat to the Bahamas.
asserted
he → claim → Bahamas
From there, he flew to London, then his final destination, prosecutors claimed, adding that Diamantis had used a Greek passport after surrendering his American one following his conviction.
asserted
Diamantis → fly → conviction
On Sunday afternoon, the fugitive conducted a brazen video call interview from Greece with local Connecticut outlet WTNH, during which he asserted his innocence and claimed there was a broad conspiracy against him.
asserted
he → conduct → him
'I felt my voice wasn't being heard as to what was really going on.
asserted
what → feel → ?
I don't think I had that chance properly in court,' Diamantis said when asked about his decision to flee the US.
asserted
Diamantis → think → US
Konstantinos 'Kosta' Diamantis, 70, fled to Greece before his sentencing hearing on Thursday, where he would have faced more than ten years in prison
Diamantis asserted his innocence in a brazen video call interview with WTNH while on the run in Greece
Diamantis claimed that he is the victim of a conspiracy by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont's administration to scapegoat him because during the 2022 election, the governor had been facing scrutiny over no-bid contracts awarded by the state.
asserted
governor → flee → state
Those contracts, which were separate from the ones Diamantis was convicted of accepting bribes for, were given to the company Sema4 to conduct COVID-19 testing during the pandemic.
asserted
Diamantis → convict → pandemic
The governor's wife, Annie Lamont, is the managing director at an investment firm that holds shares of Sema4, which led to questions about the motivation behind awarding the contracts.
asserted
which → manage → contracts
The Lamonts have denied any personal motivation behind awarding the contracts and pledged to donate any profits from selling Sema4 stock to charity.
asserted
Lamonts → deny → charity
But Diamantis claimed that his conviction essentially served as a distraction from that scandal and called it 'a scripted act of retribution against me.'
'It was political.
asserted
It → claim → me
Corruption was what they needed to get me for, and that’s what they were successful at.
asserted
they → need → what
And, at the same time, taking away the focus of any wrongdoing in the Lamont administration,' he told WTNH.
asserted
he → take → WTNH
But Ryan McGuigan, a defense attorney and former state prosecutor, told the outlet that Diamantis's claims are ridiculous and would have held up in court if they had any merit.
uncertain
they → tell → merit
The fugitive's defense argued that his actions did not constitute bribes or extortion but rather fees for legal work and an introduction to a construction company.
asserted
actions → argue → company
Diamantis claimed that he was scapegoated by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont's (pictured) administration after the governor faced scrutiny during the 2022 election
Diamantis was convicted last year of extortion and bribery charges that stemmed from his time leading Connecticut’s Office of School Construction Grants & Review
asserted
that → claim → Grants
Prosecutors, however, obtained guilty pleas from witnesses who admitted to bribing Diamantis.
asserted
who → obtain → Diamantis
They also pointed to key evidence including a text exchange in which the former state official threatened to find a new mason for a school construction project if he did not receive payment.
asserted
he → point → payment
The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General on Friday released a statement that said: 'Diamantis abused the public trust and will be held accountable.
asserted
Diamantis → release → trust
His disappearance this morning is a shameful insult to every person in Connecticut and will not deter our efforts to fully protect the state's interest and taxpayer dollars.
asserted
disappearance → deter → interest
'State law requires that my office take action to revoke or reduce the pension of state or municipal officials convicted of corruption-related charges.
asserted
office → require → charges
We are reviewing all legal options to fully enforce the law.
asserted
We → review → law
But bringing Diamantis back to the US for prosecution may prove to be a significant challenge due to Greece's previously established stance on denying extradition of its citizens.
uncertain
bringing → bring → citizens
Federal prosecutors believe there may be a path to extraditing the fugitive through the European Union, but the process could take years.
uncertain
process → believe → years
That troublesome determination was made by Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Francis in a 2024 recommendation to deny Diamantis's request to travel to Greece for a family vacation before his conviction.
asserted
determination → make → conviction
The now-fugitive had asked to travel to the country three times while he was on trial, but a judge denied all of the requests, CTInsider reported.
asserted
CTInsider → ask → requests
Diamantis told WTNH that he plans to continue trying to prove his innocence while on the run and is even hoping to secure a pardon from President Donald Trump.
asserted
he → tell → Trump
He also said that he hopes to one day return to the US to see 'my family and my grandchildren, that’s for sure.
asserted
that → say → family
I live for my children and my grandchildren.
asserted
I → live → children
'
'I do not want to stay in Greece for the rest of my life as a fugitive,' Diamantis said.
asserted
Diamantis → want → fugitive
The Aporia
