Shipping tycoon’s revelations kick up political storm

A political firestorm erupted on Thursday after shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis claimed in an interview that Premier Alexis Tsipras and Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas asked him to finance businessman Yiannis Kalogritsas during the auctions for TV broadcasting licenses in 2016, as a favor.

"Mr Pappas had asked me to meet Mr Kalogritsas, as a favor, which the prime minster also wanted, during the time of the TV licenses auction," Marinakis told Real FM radio. He added that he indeed met with Kalogritsas and was asked to provide him with a 26.3-million-euro loan so that he could pay the first installment for a TV broadcasting license.
Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest FC and Greek club Olympiakos, said he refused the request. "I dare Mr Pappas to come out and deny it," Marinakis said.
Kalogritsas eventually withdrew from the tender as he was unable to...