Former Greek Basketball Federation President Vangelis Liolios and his close associate, businessman Giorgos Mavraganis, were ordered into pretrial detention Sunday, October 25, following a 12-hour judicial proceeding in connection with an investigation into alleged match-fixing in Greek basketball.
The decision, reached jointly by an investigating magistrate and a prosecutor at Athens’ Evelpidon courthouse, brings the number of defendants placed in pretrial detention to three, following the earlier detention of former referee Petros Papapetrou.
Liolios, who recently resigned as president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), faces allegations of repeated bribery under Greek sports legislation. Both defendants denied the accusations during their questioning.
Liolios Denies Charges as Lawyers Challenge Detention Decision
Liolios spent approximately three and a half hours before the investigating magistrate, rejecting the allegations and maintaining that he had been targeted by a campaign intended to remove him from the federation’s leadership.
According to reports, he presented financial and tax records, arguing that previous investigations into his business activities had uncovered no irregularities.
His defense cited a 2025 tax audit covering 2019 and 2020, including his involvement with Promitheas Patras, restaurant businesses and the basketball federation. He reportedly maintained that inspections of domestic and foreign bank accounts and safe deposit boxes had revealed nothing suspicious.
Following the detention order, Liolios’ attorneys, Panagiotis Papaioannou and Christos Tsolkas, challenged the reasoning behind the judicial decision, disputing whether the evidence justified holding their client in custody pending trial.
Papaioannou had previously argued that the case file contained no evidence directly connecting Liolios to the alleged manipulation of basketball games. The defense has characterized the accusations as part of a coordinated attempt to discredit him.
Mavraganis, meanwhile, testified for approximately 40 minutes and denied accusations that he had acted on Liolios’ behalf to influence basketball results.
According to witness testimony cited in Greek reports, Mavraganis allegedly approached individuals involved in basketball competitions to secure the manipulation of certain games.
Liolios reportedly maintained that Mavraganis had acted independently rather than under his instructions.
Investigation Expands as Three More Defendants Await Questioning
The investigation involves approximately 50 basketball games spanning several years, including top-division competitions and lower-tier leagues.
Authorities have examined witness statements, electronic communications and financial transactions. Investigators also reportedly discovered €820,000 in cash at Papapetrou’s residence, prompting questions about the money’s origin.
Three additional defendants are scheduled to appear before the investigating magistrate Monday, October 26: international referee Vaso Tsaroucha, refereeing official Ilias Koromilas and former referee Tasos Piloidis.
The case has already affected European basketball, with EuroLeague Basketball removing Tsaroucha from officiating assignments pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Greek Basketball Federation convened an emergency board meeting following Liolios’ resignation to address its leadership and ensure the continuation of its operations.
The next judicial proceedings are expected to determine whether the remaining three defendants will also be detained or released under restrictive conditions.
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