Kosta Diamantis fled to Greece. Here's what prosecutors always feared

Key Points:

• Kosta Diamantis, a former Connecticut official convicted on bribery and extortion charges related to school construction, fled to Greece ahead of his sentencing, raising concerns about his travel documents and Greek citizenship.
• Diamantis had sought permission to travel to Greece during his trial, which was denied due to fears he might claim Greek citizenship and evade extradition; he later revealed he had obtained Greek dual citizenship through his parents.
• Despite being required to surrender his U.S. passport as part of his bond conditions, Diamantis reportedly obtained a Greek passport, which he linked to efforts to claim inherited property in Greece.
• The U.S. and Greece have an extradition treaty that covers white-collar crimes like those Diamantis was convicted of, but Greece typically does not extradite its own citizens, complicating potential legal proceedings.
• The treaty includes a political offense exception and states that extradition of citizens is generally required unless citizenship was obtained after the crime, adding complexity to Diamantis’s case given his recent acquisition of Greek citizenship.