Greek basketball federation chief and aide appear before magistrate over alleged match-fixing

The head of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Vangelis Lialios, and his associate Giorgos Mavraganis appeared before a magistrate on Sunday, remaining detained by the police. Their lawyer, Panagiotis Papaioannou, told ERTnews that the case file contains no incriminating material against Lialios and asked that three referees be called for questioning. Lialios rejects all allegations of bribery and match manipulation.

Meanwhile, the Independent Authority for Combating Money Laundering is scrutinising the assets and source-of-wealth declarations of the suspects, extending its focus to other sports officials, especially in football, after spotting suspicious financial transactions. Former referee Petros Papapetrou has already been detained following a nine-hour hearing, where he claimed his cash holdings stem from legitimate earnings over a 25-year refereeing career. The probe examines 49 basketball matches from 2016-2026, spanning top-division to school competitions, and the sport ministry has said the investigation follows complaints lodged in April 2026.