EOK president Vangelis Liolios arrested over alleged rigged basketball matches

Arrests in Athens

The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), Vangelis Liolios, was arrested at around midday on Wednesday, 21 October, according to reports. Reports say he was taken to Evelpidon, and three other people were detained with him. Four of the six people named in arrest warrants have been arrested so far, with two arrests still pending. The warrants target Liolios, three referees, a chief referee who also serves as a special refereeing adviser, and a businessman who is a former athlete. Some reports said board members of the federation were also on the list, while others named only the referees and the businessman.

The prosecutor's probe

Apostolos Gramenos, the Athens prosecutor who serves as the sports prosecutor, led an inquiry conducted with strict secrecy. Reports say it began with complaints from individuals rather than from clubs, many of them anonymous, and ran for about three months. Witnesses and documents reportedly backed the allegations of rigged matches and the warrants that followed. The case file reportedly includes messages from officials, testimony and complaints submitted to the prosecutor. According to the same reports, the prosecutor judged that Liolios posed a flight risk, a finding that was also made for the others named in the warrants.

Charges and cash

Reports say all six are being prosecuted, depending on the case, for bribery and bribe-taking under sports law. The allegations concern rigged matches in the top division and other divisions over at least the last five years, according to competent sources cited in reports. Investigators reportedly found large sums of money held by people involved that could not be justified. One report said 820,000 euros in cash was found at a referee's house in the provinces as the wider investigation expanded. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are not involved as complainants or accused, according to reports, and the names of the referees and the businessman were withheld for reasons of secrecy.

What happens next

Once the case was referred to an investigating judge, the suspects were scheduled to give explanations before that judge on 22 October. Reports did not say whether Liolios will remain in charge of the federation after the warrant, although he has reportedly led it since September 2021. The allegations rest on messages, complaints and testimony, and reports note it remains to be seen whether the serious charges will be proven. The remaining arrests and the outcome of the questioning are still open.