The President of the Greek Basketball Federation Vangelis Liolios has been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged scheme to manipulate basketball matches. This is reported by the Greek publication Sport24, citing information about the actions of the investigative authorities.
A total of four people out of six suspects for whom arrest warrants were issued have been detained in the case. Among those investigated are basketball referees and individuals related to the work of the federation.
According to the published information, the investigation covers alleged violations committed over a period of five years. The investigation lasted three months under the leadership of the Athens prosecutor Apostolis Gramenos.
According to data from Skai television, the investigators' attention is focused on approximately 50 matches at various levels of basketball, including one international match.
The first signal was filed in April 2026 by a club from the Athens district of Maroussi. Subsequently, the investigation was expanded, with eight witnesses being questioned. Two of them themselves provided information about possible violations, without charges being brought against them according to the available data.
One of the most serious elements of the case is the discovery of a significant amount of money in the home of an investigated judge. According to media reports, it is about 800,000 euros – funds that, according to investigators, do not correspond to his official income.
At the moment, these circumstances are part of the investigation and do not in themselves constitute evidence of the guilt of all the suspects.
The name of Vangelis Liolios was in the spotlight even before the current case. In April, the Panathinaikos management officially requested his removal from the post of president of the federation, accusing him of manipulating the appointments of basketball referees.
Liolios has led Greek basketball since September 2021. In 2024, he was re-elected for a new four-year term.
The investigation is putting the federation under serious public pressure, but the final conclusions will depend on the evidence collected and the decisions of the competent authorities.