The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Vangelis Liolios, along with Giorgos Mavragani, his close associate and businessman, are testifying before the investigating judge this morning. Both are accused of being involved in the Greek basketball scandal involving alleged match-fixing. Following their hearing, which is expected to last several hours, a decision will be made on whether they will be remanded in custody or released, and under what conditions.
The federation’s powerful leader categorically denies all charges against him, arguing that the allegations against him are the result of a broader, organized effort by a specific group of individuals to maintain control over refereeing in Greek basketball. His defense argues that this is a calculated operation to upset the balance of power in the world of basketball. In this context, Mr. Liolios’s legal team has requested and has already called three “key” witnesses from the refereeing community and the Federation, including the president of the Central Refereeing Committee, a member of the KED, and the president of the Hellenic Basketball Referees Federation.
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It should be noted that on Friday, it was decided to place former referee Petros Papapetrou in pretrial detention following a marathon defense that lasted more than 8 hours. During his marathon defense, the former referee denied the charges of bribery, attempting to substantiate the lawful origin of the funds with documentary evidence. He presented evidence showing that from 2001 through 2026, his total income from his professional activity as a referee, the forestry department, and family sources will total 1.5 million euros.
On Monday, the defense statements of the last three arrested individuals will follow: international referee Vasso Tsaroucha, KED member Tassos Piloidis, and special refereeing advisor Ilias Koromilas.
At the same time, the Independent Authority for Combating Proceeds from Illegal Activities is “thoroughly scrutinizing” the assets and sources of wealth of those involved in the basketball match-fixing case, pursuant to an order issued by its president, Honorary Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Charalambos Vourliotis, which is not limited solely to the six defendants named in the case file but also extends to other figures in the sport.
*photo source: KYPE
