Prosecutors probe soccer federation over graft claims
The headquarters of Greece’s soccer federation have been raided by prosecutors as part of an investigation into alleged blackmail, bribery and tax evasion, it has emerged.
Four prosecutors accompanied by officers from the financial police raided the Hellenic Football Federation’s (EPO) premises on November 4 after collecting statements in connection to a series of alleged crimes.
The judicial officials are probing four separate cases. One involves claims that lists of which referees were to officiate matches were manipulated. Another relates to the use of forged tax documents by teams and whether any tax evasion was involved. There have also been claims that some clubs were bribed during a vote to elect EPO’s president. Prosecutors are further examining a contract for health checks on soccer players, which EPO agreed in 2005 with a private company but has never been used despite spending several million euros on the program.
