Important developments are underway in the Municipality of Emmanuel Pappa of Serres, as a disciplinary penalty of one (1) month's holiday was imposed on the acting Mayor Dimitris Nota. This penalty marks the temporary cessation of all duties and qualities arising from his elected position.
The decision and the background to the case
According to the local news network Infonews24, the decision was issued by the Secretary of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia - Thrace, based on a positive opinion of the Disciplinary Council of Elected Bodies of Local Authorities, as provided by Article 234 of Law 3852/2010.
The background of the disciplinary proceedings is based on the first conviction of Mr. Nota by the Three-Member Plenary Court of Serres for the offence of breach of duty. The issue concerned the procedure for hiring a lawyer with a paid mandate for the needs of the municipality, an action which, according to the report, effectively led to the tenure of the lawyer. The case was brought to court following anonymous complaints and objections.
It is worth noting that the legal proceedings are not final. The Mayor has already appealed to the Court of Appeal against the first instance decision and the new verdict, which the Disciplinary Board took into account before recommending the imposition of the suspension, is awaited.
Substitute sought on the City Council
These developments are causing administrative rearrangements in the municipality. To address the power vacuum during the holiday month, an emergency meeting of the City Council has been called for today, Good Wednesday, at 8:00 p.m. At this meeting, the body will be asked to appoint the Deputy Mayor or Councillor of the majority party to act as Deputy Mayor for the period.
