The criminal division of Greece’s supreme court on Monday validated the acquittal of well-known Greek shipowner and football club owner Vangelis Marinakis on a handful of felony charges related to a lengthy investigation into match rigging.
Marinakis, who owns the popular Olympiacos Piraeus team in Greece and is the co-owner of iconic Nottingham Forest FC in England, was previously tried on charges of running a criminal enterprise, extortion and fraud. The indictment referred to alleged match fixing in Greece.
An appellate level council of justices had also previously acquitted Marinakis in case, whereby a relevant supreme court prosecutor filed a motion for appeal with the high court.
The extortion count was unanimously rejected by the court’s three justices; whereas the defendant’s acquittal on the criminal enterprise and fraud charges was validated via a 2-1 split decision.
