Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis says football-related charges against him have been dropped in their entirety, putting an end to “endless negative media coverage, non-stop machinations and a protracted judicial process”.
“The decision of the Greek Supreme Court confirmed that the allegations against me were unfounded and do not merit even for a court hearing,” the owner said in an e-mailed statement.
"My integrity has been unequivocally ascertained," he added.
TradeWinds reported earlier this week that the Areopag, Greece’s top court for civil and criminal law, said a decision by lower judges last November to refer the Greek owner and another 27 co-defendants to trial after a match-fixing probe was “insufficiently reasoned”. That decision has not been released to the public.
Marinakis, who had already been cleared in November over the most serious charges in relation to the football probe, including that of leading a criminal organization, said the Areopag’s decision on 26 March is a complete exoneration.
“I am delighted with my exoneration and I am confident that similar attempts will have the same destiny, including the slanderous criminal investigation that has recently been associated with my name and announced, if not decided, by some members of the press, fabricating a slanderous narrative.
Sadly, members of the government were actively engaged in the latest deeply dishonest initiative that has no standing in law or fact.”
His shipping business continues as usual, Marinakis said in the statement. “Despite all of the negativity and false allegations, we continue to conduct our business affairs in a principled and professional manner and have excelled as always in our various endeavors, be it in our extensive social responsibility activities around the world, but also in shipping and football.”
