Greece issues arrest warrants for six people suspected of fixing basketball games
Police said the probe targets bribery and match manipulation in about 50 games across Greek basketball, with cash and electronics seized.
- On Wednesday, Athens sports prosecutors issued six arrest warrants, including for Hellenic Basketball Federation president Vangelis Liolios, amid an investigation into alleged match-fixing and bribery across Greek basketball.
- Prosecutor Apostolos Grammenos led a three-month investigation into suspected match manipulation and bribery across Greek basketball, targeting alleged activities spanning at least the past five years.
- Investigators found €820,000 in cash at a Katerini referee's home, while arrest warrants named referees Vaso Tsaroucha, Petros Papapetrou, Elias Koromilas, and official Giorgos Mavraganis alongside Liolios.
- Liolios and others arrested are expected to appear before an investigating magistrate on Thursday to address the accusations as authorities examine complaints, messages, and evidence gathered during the probe.
- The investigation continues to evaluate whether these activities represent a long-standing pattern of manipulation spanning multiple basketball divisions, though allegations against the individuals remain unproven in court.
158 Articles
158 Articles
Authorities issue 6 arrest warrants as investigation examines around 50 games played between 2016 and 2026, according to local media
Greek basketball has been rocked by the biggest match-fixing and bribery scandal in its history, with the federation president and EuroLeague referees also arrested. As part of the extensive investigation, a total of 922,000 euros in cash, the source of which remains unexplained, was seized from the homes of two referees. One of the referees was coaching Panathinaikos.
Three referees, a referee advisor and a former player are accused in addition to the head of the Greek Basketball Federation.
A tangle of match-fixing in Greek basketball over the past decade is about to unravel. The head of Greece's national basketball federation and five other people have been arrested.
Vangelis Liolios, 59, will appear on Thursday before an investigating judge, Ana said. A sports prosecutor issued arrest warrants for the leader, three referees, an arbitration counselor and a former sportsman. Greek media say that the police would have discovered more than 800,000 euros in cash at the home of one of the suspects. On the other hand, the Greek Federation of Basketball indicated in a brief statement that "the board of directors ha…
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