A Greek court ruled on Wednesday that Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Vangelis Marinakis is to face trial on charges of match fixing in Greece.
The 49-year-old shipping magnate and media boss is the most prominent among 28 people who will be put on trial on felony charges following a probe on suspect Greek football match outcomes. The three-bench Athens Court of Appeal ruling came after a 2-1 majority vote.
Marinakis denied any wrongdoing during the investigation. In a statement posted on the Olympiakos website Marinakis declared his innocence and stated the judicial panel had cleared him of other serious charges that had included membership in a criminal organization, fraud, extortion and arson.
Rejecting the charges as “absolutely unfounded”, motivated by “envy”, and promising that he would be cleared, Marinakis wrote among others:
“I am certain that my innocence with regard to these remaining charges will be demonstrated by the judicial process that will ensue, thus fully exonerating me and vindicating the stated opinion of the chair of the Judicial Council.”
He said also that he will be standing down as the Olympiakos chairman,he proposed the position to be taken over by the Mayor of Piraeus and Vice President of Olympiakos F.C., Giannis Moralis.
According to a document seen by Reuters, Marinakis also faces misdemeanor charges of allegedly colluding with others to altering the outcome of fixtures.
A date for the trial has not yet been announced, but court sources said it could possibly take place next year.
Among the other people accused are former Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) officials, former referees and referee officials and players.
The cases which covered a period between 2011 and 2013, are the latest in a long line of corruption inquiries into Greek football.
According to Guardian, the Football League and UEFA did closely scrutinise the old proceedings against Marinakis before clearing him to take over Forest from the Kuwaiti businessman Fawaz al-Hasawi in May 2017. “The charges are unlikely to affect his freedom to continue his ownership and running of Forest,” the Guardian notes.
