Paulos Marinakis: Government Denies Involvement in Justice System and Team Favoritism

The government spokesperson appeared on SKAI’s broadcast to address allegations of corruption within the administration following the referral of members of PAE Olympiacos management to trial for two instances of misconduct. Paulos Marinakis emphasized the separation of powers in Greece, stating that the government, as the executive authority, has a different role from the judiciary and legislative branches. He clarified that the decisions regarding justice are made independently by judicial officials and prosecutors without any interference from the government. The government’s responsibility, especially concerning sports grounds, is to act comprehensively without favoring any team colors, aiming to stop the violence witnessed in stadiums. Marinakis recalled actions taken after the murder of police officer Lyggeridis, which were criticized at the time but have since been implemented with necessary improvements. He reiterated that the government must not interfere or comment on judicial decisions, respecting the principle of power separation. This stance has been consistently applied across various cases regardless of judicial outcomes.