Match-fixing investigation in Greek basketball: federation president arrested

Vangelis Liolios, president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, has been arrested in a match-fixing and bribery investigation that has shaken Greek sport. According to a report by Sport24, Liolios has headed the federation since September 2021 and was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon.

A total of six arrest warrants were issued in the investigation, which Athens sports prosecutor Apostolos Grammenos has been running for three months. The warrants cover the federation's leadership, referees and some names from the basketball community. Three more people were reportedly arrested, but reports conflict on who was taken into custody.

The warrants relate to giving and taking bribes under sports legislation, and to suspected interference in games in Greece's top basketball league and other categories over at least the last five years. Those sought include three referees, a head referee or referee adviser, and a businessman who is a former athlete. Referees Vaso Tsaroucha and Petros Papapetrou and executive Giorgos Mavraganis are also among those sought. Papapetrou was reported to have retired during the summer.

SDNA, meanwhile, wrote that referee Elias Koromilas was also arrested. During the searches, 820,000 euros in cash was reportedly found at a referee's home in Katerini. The money was described as an amount of unexplained origin. The file also includes complaints from the basketball community, messages and other evidence being examined by the prosecutor's office. The allegations have not yet been proven in court.