Basketgate: Koromilás's lawyer disputes remand – "He will be acquitted triumphantly"
Lawyer Apostolos Lytras has characterised the prosecution of the former referee as "irrational" and announced an appeal against the remand warrant.
Lytras: Prosecution of Koromilás "irrational", appeal against remand
Lawyer Apostolos Lytras has strongly disputed the remand decision for former chief referee Ilias Koromilás, who stands accused in connection with a bribery and match-fixing case in Greek basketball known as Basketgate. According to Newsit.gr, the experienced criminal lawyer characterised the prosecution against his client as "irrational" and announced an appeal against the relevant warrant.
Speaking to ERT, Lytras argued that there is insufficient evidence to justify the provisional detention, whilst expressing full confidence in the final outcome: "When it comes to trial, he will be acquitted triumphantly".
Two testimonies without additional evidence, defence argues
The lawyer argued that the prosecution is based exclusively on two witness statements, without being accompanied, in his assessment, by additional evidentiary material confirming them. He also characterised the remand decision as excessive, noting that Koromilás has a known address and there are no indications of flight risk or commission of further offences.
The 110,000 euros and their source
Central to the case are the cash sums discovered at the former chief referee's residence. Lytras cited the amount of 110,000 euros, arguing that it comes from legitimate fees paid to his client as an international referee. According to the lawyer, there are bank receipts proving the withdrawals, whilst an accountant has already testified regarding the source of the money. Part of the sum, as he argued, comes from compensation that Koromilás received during his professional career.
In information that has been made public, different amounts appear for the seized cash, with reference also to 102,000 euros.
Koromilás: 263,000 euros from legitimate activity
In his defence statement, Ilias Koromilás is reported to have argued that he has received a total of 263,000 euros from his professional activity in international competitions — 193,000 euros in fees and 70,000 euros as additional compensation. He argued that the money was paid through bank accounts and that he has the necessary documentation, whilst explaining that he proceeded with withdrawals for personal and family reasons.
Disputing the connection to the matches
Lytras also referred to the matches included in the case file, arguing that these are games in the A2 category without particular scoring significance. He also disputed his client's connection with messages, meetings and conversations being examined by the judicial authorities, emphasising that Koromilás cannot be held responsible for communications by third parties in which he did not participate. The former chief referee himself denies all charges and argues that he did not take part in the Central Refereeing Committee nor had authority to select referees.
Four in remand, two under house arrest
Lytras's intervention follows the completion of the lengthy defence statements by all six defendants. According to the court decisions, placed in provisional detention were Koromilás, the president of the EOS Vangelis Liolios, former international referee Petros Papagetrou and businessman Giorgos Mavraganis. International referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha and former referee Tassos Piloidis were placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, with an additional prohibition on involvement in basketball in any way.
The judicial inquiry concerns allegations of match-fixing in various categories of Greek basketball, with the alleged incidents spanning from 2016 to the present. The next step is the defence's appeal against the provisional detention, whilst the criminal investigation continues. All defendants are presumed innocent until a final court decision is issued.
Source: Newsit.gr