The former mayor of Salonika, Greece's second-largest city, has been granted early release on compassionate grounds from prison.
Vassilis Papageorgopoulos and two other ex-officials have been jailed for life for embezzling almost 18 million euros of public funds. The court ruled that the ex-mayor was a key part of a scam that lasted between 1999 and 2008.
Papageorgopoulos who denied the charges served two years and five months of a 12-year sentence. It is believed to be the longest sentence given to any Greek politician convicted of corruption.
Authorities decided Tuesday that Papageorgopoulos has a disability, mainly due to heart problems, and qualifies for early release under new laws passed this year.
Papageorgopoulos, a 67-year-old former champion sprinter and medical student nicknamed the Flying Doctor, was a prominent member of the conservative New Democracy party. He was mayor from 1999-2010, succeeded in December 2010 by Yiannis Boutaris, a wine-maker.