The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), Vangelis Liolios, and the businessman said to be his close associate have completed their testimonies in the investigation into alleged match-fixing in basketball. The investigating magistrate and the prosecutor must now decide how the two defendants will be handled.
The procedure that follows is this: shortly, the defendants will appear before the prosecutor, who will then confer with the investigating magistrate. Immediately afterward, the decision will be announced, determining whether they will be sent to prison or released.
According to the latest information, the businessman answered all the questions put to him by the investigating magistrate during the process.
Liolios Testified for Three and a Half Hours
Earlier, the testimony of Vangelis Liolios, now the former EOK president, had been completed. He remained in the investigating magistrate’s office for three and a half hours and denied all the charges against him.
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The testimonies of the EOK president and his close associate, to whom key prosecution witnesses attribute a “leading” role in the case, come after the investigating magistrate and the prosecutor decided to remand in custody a former referee, the first defendant in this serious case. Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority has also joined the investigation, with its head, honorary deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court Charalambos Vourliotis, ordering a full-scale investigation into the defendants.
Before his testimony, Liolios reportedly said: “I am resigning as president of the EOK. I am stepping aside so that basketball can function.” Specifically, according to his associates, Liolios said during his testimony today that he is withdrawing from any activity in basketball and resigning as president so that the sport can function.
The statement covers the period needed until the judicial process in which he is involved is completed.
Five Referees and Sports Officials in the Frame
Meanwhile, according to legal and police sources, criminal charges are expected to be brought in the near future against at least five more referees and sports officials who appear to have taken part in the match-fixing ring.
These new legal actions will follow the evidence gathered on at least 50 manipulated games, involving dozens of referees who are not included in the current case file. The file contains the names of only the three referees for whom the first arrest warrants were issued.