The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Vangelis Liolios, and five other defendants are expected to appear before an investigating judge in Athens on Thursday, October 22, following their arrests in an investigation into match-fixing in Greek basketball.
All six arrest warrants issued by the sports prosecutor have been executed. The defendants face allegations of bribery and accepting bribes, with the charges brought under Greece’s sports legislation.
Their lawyers are expected to request additional time to review the case file and prepare their clients’ statements, according to reports.
Who are the six defendants?
Alongside Liolios, the defendants are:
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- Giorgos Mavraganis, a businessman and former athlete.
- Vaso Tsaroucha, an international basketball referee.
- Petros Papapetrou, who retired from refereeing last summer.
- Ilias Koromilas, chief referee and special adviser on refereeing.
- Tasos Piloidis, a former referee and member of the Central Refereeing Committee.
The six were taken into custody following an investigation into alleged manipulation of basketball games and possible bribery involving people connected to the sport.
How the investigation began
According to information about the case, the investigation was triggered by a complaint filed in April by the Maroussi basketball club’s professional team, which raised concerns about the operation of the Hellenic Basketball Federation and its president, Liolios.
The complaint was followed by a systematic prosecutorial investigation that included witness interviews. Two witnesses were considered particularly significant and reportedly helped drive the inquiry forward by describing alleged match-fixing based on their personal knowledge.
The two are said to have provided information about games in which individuals allegedly received bribes. Their disclosures led to favorable treatment in the criminal proceedings against them.
Match-fixing across competitions
The case file reportedly contains messages and other material that investigators believe may show that games were manipulated across multiple levels of Greek basketball.
The alleged incidents span competitions ranging from youth and school tournaments to the country’s top division, covering the period from 2016 through 2026.
The allegations remain under investigation as the six defendants prepare to appear before the judicial authorities.