Source link : https://footsoccer.net/2024/11/04/trending-news/marinakis-sues-greek-membership-rival-for-defamation-in-london-courts/
November 4 – Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek delivery magnet and proprietor of Premier League membership Nottingham Forest, is suing a soccer rival from Greece for greater than £2.1 million in a excessive courtroom libel declare over an alleged “smear marketing campaign” together with “false” allegations of match-fixing.
Marinakis, who additionally owns perennial Greek champions, Olympiakos is suing Irini Karipidis, the proprietor of Aris, over allegations made on an internet site, social media, and cellular billboards between November 2023 and March 2024.
In a courtroom listening to final week, Marinakis, who denies all of the allegations, together with a rumoured high-profile drug trafficking case.
The Forest proprietor who has courted loads of controversy since taking on on the two-time champions of Europe, together with most lately being banned for spitting close to officers, has employed barristers who’ve mentioned that the allegations had been “utterly unfaithful” and that the case ought to proceed in an English courtroom as a result of it had a “actual prospect of success”.
David Sherborne, who represents Marinakis, mentioned in written submissions to the courtroom: “The allegations which Mr Marinakis complains of are utterly unfaithful and nothing within the defendants’ proof comes wherever near substantiating [the claims]them.”
He continued: “[The claims] concerned false allegations extremely defamatory of Mr Marinakis, making accusations that he was responsible of being the chief of a prison organisation, responsible of match-fixing practices together with extortion, fraud, and arson, in addition to there being robust grounds to suspect him of deep and energetic involvement in worldwide heroin trafficking.”
The courtroom heard that these allegations had appeared on a Forest-themed web site, X, and YouTube in addition to cellular billboards that had been seen across the Metropolis Floor on matchdays. The YouTube channel, X account, and web site had been later taken down.
With a style for litigation, Marinakis, can be suing Amani Swiss (Cyprus) Restricted, an organization of which Karipidis is president, and the Israeli nationwide Ari Harow, and his firm, Sheyaan Consulting Restricted.
Representing Karipidis is Matthew Hodson who advised the courtroom that the publications had been “procured or created by a US PR agency” named Harris Media, which was paid $25,000 however just isn’t concerned within the case, and that there was no proof of “precise hurt” to Marinakis’s fame.
The dispute between the 2 Greeks has centered on an Olympiakos/Aris match within the 2022/23 season during which it’s claimed that Marinakis approached Karipidis’s brother Theodoros to repair a “crucial” recreation between the groups. That recreation ended 2-2 and the dropped factors resulted in Olympiakos occurring to overlook out on a fourth successive title.
Hodson mentioned: “Throughout the recreation, Mr Marinakis grew to become so indignant that, in response to Ms Karipidis, he threatened that Theodoros ‘wouldn’t go away the sector alive’ if Olympiakos misplaced. On the finish of the sport, Mr Marinakis then advised Theodoros, ‘You might be completed’ and ‘I’ll destroy you’.
“Thereafter, Mr Marinakis started a marketing campaign of intimidation and interference with the lives and companies of Ms Karipidis and her brother.”
The listening to earlier than Richard Spearman KC, sitting as a deputy excessive courtroom choose, continues, nevertheless, it hasn’t appeared to hassle Forest, who’ve had a constructive begin to the marketing campaign and at present sit in seventh place.
Contact the author of this story, Nick Webster, at oc.ll1730691942abtoo1730691942fdlro1730691942wedis1730691942ni@of1730691942ni1730691942
The post Marinakis sues Greek membership rival for defamation in London courts first appeared on Foot & Soccer.
Author : footsoccer
Publish date : 2024-11-04 03:47:59
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.