AEK president released on bail
AEK Athens president Andreas Dimitrelos has been released on bail after giving testimony about the 170 million euros in taxes owed by the Super League club, police said on Friday.
The 54-year-old, who was taken into custody voluntarily on Thursday, testified before the public prosecutor for one hour before being released on a 40,000-euro bail guarantee.
AEK has said the alleged offences occurred before Dimitrelos’ tenure, which started last year, and that the tax arrears were being settled under a debt restructuring procedure initiated by the club under the country’s bankruptcy code.
“The voluntary attendance of our president Andreas Dimitrelos at police headquarters concerns club debts from previous administrations which have been restructured by Article 44 (of the bankruptcy code) and for which the present administration is not liable as they have not arisen out of the current fiscal year,» AEK said in a statement on Thursday.
“On the contrary, up to this point Mr Dimitrelos has managed to keep AEK Athens alive, so much so that we are all united in the hope for our final victory and salvation.”
Athens public prosecutor Grigoris Peponis has also issued warrants for the arrest of the club’s presidents from 2004 to October 2012, including former AEK and Greece striker Demis Nikolaidis, president from 2004-2008, plus Giorgos Kintis, Nikos Thanopoulos and Stavros Adamidis.
AEK is 11th in the 16-team Greek Super League after its worst start to a season.
[Reuters]
