Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is charged with ‘supporting a criminal organisation and inciting sports-related violence’ –  but he claims he is being BLACKMAILED

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has been charged with misdemeanours including ‘supporting a criminal organisation as well as inciting sports-related violence’.

Olympiacos, which Marinakis also owns, have released an explosive statement in response to the move, claiming it is a blackmail attempt by ‘those who operate under parastatal conditions in the public life of the country’.

Marinakis was charged along with a number of officials from the Greek club in connection with an investigation into a criminal organisation within football which was linked to the murder of a police officer last year, according to reports in Greece.

Each has been summoned to appear before the investigating magistrate next Tuesday, but can request a delay to allow them to prepare a defence.

Dozens of individuals, including key members of Olympiacos fan group Gate 7, have been detained ahead of a trial following the death of officer Giorgos Lyggeridis, who was shot in the thigh and killed when violence flared at a volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in Athens.

In a statement, Olympiacos say the charges are ‘a new attempt to blackmail Olympiacos in order to bend both the Olympiacos family and its President himself.

The charges are for ‘supporting a criminal organisation and inciting sports-related violence’

Marinakis-owned Olympiacos have released an explosive statement claiming it is a blackmail attempt by ‘those who operate under parastatal conditions in the public life of the country’

‘This development came as a continuation of the unjust mass targeting of our followers as a criminal organisation,’ they add.

‘Even the most naive can understand that the time chosen is not random. This method has political characteristics and unfortunately uses the Justice itself as a tool.

‘Those who operate under parastatal conditions in the public life of the country are responsible for this mess.

‘The President of PAE Olympiacos and the Olympiacos family have a clear conscience, they are not being blackmailed, they are not bending.’