Scandal statement from Panathinaikos legal adviser

Panathinaikos legal adviser Margarita Thanou spoke on ERT's Update programme about the scandal that has shaken Greek basketball. Thanou argued that the affair is still at an early stage. Recalling that in the recent finals the free throw margin in favour of Olympiakos had reached 63 points, she said she found this remarkable.

When asked whether Panathinaikos matches were included in the case file, Thanou said she believed new matches would also come under the prosecutor's scrutiny. She said the club intends to join the case and is waiting for several new pieces of evidence. Reminding that three referees have been sent to prison, Thanou suggested that the status of the five referees who blew the whistle is also important.

Thanou also addressed the case Olympiakos opened against Dimitris Yannakopulos over his social media posts. She reminded that referees Karpanos and Tsimpouris are not currently defendants. She argued that it is not logical to think that a referee who had 800,000 euros at home, and who admitted to fixing Prometheas matches, did not fix the final series.

Speaking about the elections, Thanou said the club was among the first to demand the resignation of the Hellenic Basketball Federation. She said the elections must be held in person, because there are suspicious signs regarding the 2021 and 2024 elections. She claimed the system serves profit and power, and that those who damage the reputations of witnesses may also be part of this arrangement.