Attorneys delivering closing arguments in the federal criminal trial of Konstantinos Diamantis Monday presented jurors with dueling descriptions of the man who ran Connecticut’s school construction program for nearly six years.

Federal prosecutors portrayed Diamantis , a former state deputy budget director, as a money-hungry official who eagerly traded his influence on school building projects for bribes from construction contractors.

“The defendant was a corrupt public official. He asked for and accepted bribes,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney David Novick, adding that Diamantis also wielded his immense influence on projects to “strike fear” into contractors.

Meanwhile, Diamantis’ defense attorney, Norm Pattis, portrayed his client as a dutiful and devoted public servant who used h

See Full Page