A money laundering and betting scandal in the field of Greek football reached the “ears” of the German newspaper FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).
In a report with the title “Murder and billions in Greek football” signed by FAZ journalist Ferry Batzoglou, it is emphasized that the starting point of the case concerning bets on Greek football begins with a murder.
“After ten years, the investigation into a huge betting scandal was finally completed and a new case is shocking Greek sports. The starting point of the investigation is probably a murder. About 60 people are involved in the case,” the newspaper quotes.
The FAZ report states:
A money laundering and betting scandal is rocking Greek sports. As reported on Monday evening by the private Athenian television station “Open TV”, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority of Athens, headed by prosecutor Charalambos Vourliotis, revealed a pan-Hellenic criminal organization. It has reportedly been active since 2012. The case involves around 60 people, including former international footballers and well-known coaches, as well as representatives of the Greek professional football leagues Super League 1 and 2 and various amateur clubs, according to the broadcaster.
According to “Open TV”, the starting point was the murder of Greek businessman Yannis Makris in 2018. Makris was a Greek who previously lived for a long time in Australia. There is a large community of Greek origin there. According to Greek media reports, Makris – nicknamed “the Australian” – was involved in drug trafficking during his stay “Down Under”. Officially, he was considered a businessman. On October 31, 2018, he was shot in a car outside his property in the wealthy suburb of Voula in Athens.
According to the finding, people who had worked closely with Makris were put under scrutiny for this reason. The investigations of the anti-money laundering authority targeted the majority of betting companies operating in Greece. According to the results of the investigation to date, illegal betting has laundered illegal funds totaling more than one billion euros. This did not only concern illegal betting on football matches, but also other sports such as chess.
After the completion of the investigation, the 200-page Vourliotis report has already been forwarded to the Greek prosecuting authorities, “Open TV” reports. The report details all the intricate routes that black money takes in countless illicit transactions.
Greek professional football has already been rocked by a betting scandal in the last decade. He influenced dozens of matches in the Greek professional football leagues. The criminal investigation into the case dubbed “Coriopolis” by the media – a pun on the 2006 Italian betting scandal known as “Calciopoli” and the Greek word for “wiretapping” – lasted about eight years and ended in January 2019 in second instance before the Court of Appeal of Athens.
Of the initially more than a hundred suspects and accused, 26 people were finally brought before the Athens Court of Appeal. Of these, only eleven people involved in illegal betting were found guilty. They received suspended sentences. The highest prison sentence was given to a former club owner. However, he managed to avoid a 27-month prison sentence in return for paying five euros a day – a total of €4,100. In addition, the bail previously paid by all eleven convicts was returned.
#Murder #billions #Greek #football #stench #ball #German #FAZ
