Murder and billions in Greek football

A money laundering and betting scandal rocks Greek sport. As the private Athens television station “Open TV” reported on Monday evening, the Athens anti-money laundering authority, led by public prosecutor Charalambos Vourliotis, has uncovered a nationwide criminal organization. This is said to have been active since 2012. Around 60 people are involved in the case, including, according to the broadcaster, former national football players and well-known coaches as well as representatives of the Greek professional football leagues Super League 1 and 2 as well as various amateur clubs.

According to “Open TV”, the starting point was the murder of the Greek businessman Jannis Makris in 2018. Makris was a Greek who had previously lived in Australia for a long time. There is a large community of Greek origin there. According to Greek media reports, Makris – nicknamed “the Australian” – was involved in drug deals during his time Down Under. Officially he was considered an entrepreneur. He was shot dead in a car in front of his property in the upscale Athens suburb of Voula on October 31, 2018.

People who had worked closely with Makris came into focus on this occasion, the report says. The investigations by the anti-money laundering authority were directed against the majority of betting companies operating in Greece. According to the investigation results available so far, more than one billion euros in illegal money was laundered through illegal betting. This not only affected illegal betting on football games, but also other sports such as chess.

Eleven people found guilty

After the investigation was completed, the 200-page Vourliotis report was already forwarded to the Greek law enforcement authorities, reports “Open TV”. It describes in detail all the convoluted paths of black money in countless illegal transactions.

Greece’s professional football was rocked by a betting scandal last decade. It affected dozens of games in the Greek professional leagues. The criminal investigation in the case dubbed “Koriopolis” by the media – a play on words with the Italian betting scandal from 2006 known as “Calciopoli” and the Greek word for “eavesdropping” – lasted around eight years and ended in January 2019 second instance before the Athens Court of Appeal.

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Of the original more than a hundred suspects and defendants, 26 people ultimately had to face the appeal court in Athens. Only eleven people who were involved in illegal betting were found guilty. Most of them received suspended sentences. The highest prison sentence was imposed on a former club owner. However, he was able to avoid his prison sentence of 27 months by paying five euros per day – and thus a total of 4,100 euros. In addition, all eleven convicts were refunded the deposit they had previously paid.