The testimony concerning the case was handed over to the Corruption Magistrate by major Levadiakos club shareholder Yiannis Kobotis, who also faces a charge of bribery. He was then released on condition that he has no involvement in any sporting events or club activities.
The magistrate also gave early June deadlines to former Hellenic Soccer Federation legal consultant Theodoros Kouridis and HFF board member Aristidis Stathopoulos, in order to prepare their testimony.
In other related news, Deputy Minister of Sport Stavros Kontonis has arranged to meet with UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, in order to discuss the possibility of a solution that will avoid the possibility of a “football Grexit”.
A separate report from To Vima claims that over the past few days Kontonis has implemented changes to a sports bill that is being debated in Parliament and which is then set to be put to a vote. The main problem that the Greek Minister is faced with concerns a provision to abolish the autonomy of the Hellenic Soccer Federation (EPO), which conflicts with FIFA and UEFA’s rules.
Failure to comply with those regulations could signal the immediate expulsion of Greek national teams and clubs from all international competitions, which in turn would have an unprecedented financial catastrophe on professional sport in Greece.
In order to placate FIFA and UEFA, Kontonis expanded the controversial clause, by including a clarification that EPO must operate within the framework of the law and Constitution, as well as the rules and regulations of FIFA and UEFA.
In Kontonis's view, the ball is now in UEFA and FIFA’s court, since the changes safeguard the requirement of EPO’s independent operation.
(Sources: ANA-MPA, To Vima)
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