International referee Vasso Tsaroucha, special refereeing advisor Ilias Koromilas, and former referee and member of the Central Refereeing Committee Tasos Piloidis will appear before the investigating judge this morning to answer charges related to the basketball scandal.
Yesterday, the former president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), Vangelis Liolios, and his associate, Giorgos Mavraghanis, were remanded in custody, while former referee Petros Papapetrou has also been taken to prison.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The new EOK Board of Directors, chaired by Angelos Papanikolaou (with Periklis Dorcofiki as the sole new member replacing the resigned president), will meet again today to “take the necessary decisions regarding all individuals involved,” as stated in the announcement. In practical terms, this means it will await the decisions of the investigating judge and the prosecutor regarding Tsaroucha, Koromilas, and Piloidis, who (as of now) play an active role in basketball, unlike Vangelis Liolios (who has resigned), Petros Papapetrou (who has retired from refereeing), and Giorgos Mavragani (who, in any case, did not hold an official position).
A meeting is also scheduled for today at 12:00 p.m. between the Minister of Sports, Yiannis Vroutsis, and the Federation’s vice president and president of the Greek Professional Basketball League (ESAKE), Michalis Melis. The main focus of the discussion will be developments in the case and the future of Greek basketball, with the aim of exploring ways to restore trust and credibility in the sport.
Mr. Vroutsis’s move was interpreted as an attempt to pressure the current administration to resign and lead to elections; however, yesterday’s announcement following the board meeting made it clear that the federation’s leadership has no such intention. It should be noted that the minister cannot impose such a measure, as the federation is self-governing, however, with actions such as the special financial audit and the suspension of funding to the EOK, the federation’s leadership will find itself in a difficult position.
*photo source: KYPE
