Greek basketball is facing a widening match-fixing investigation involving allegations of bribed referees, manipulated results and payments to club officials, with the president of the country's basketball federation among those accused.
Prosecutors are examining dozens of matches dating back to 2016, including games involving Promitheas Patras, a prominent Greek club previously headed by Evangelos Liolios, the current president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation.
According to Greek media reports citing the investigation's case file, the alleged scheme involved influencing refereeing decisions, engineering defeats and manipulating promotion between divisions.
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Investigators are examining matches involving Promitheas and clubs including PAOK, Aris and AEK during several seasons between 2018 and 2026.
Messages reportedly included in the case file suggest attempts to influence results.
"That team absolutely must lose. I want to destroy them wherever I find them because they are my enemies," an accused businessman allegedly wrote.
Another message reportedly shows a female referee requesting accommodation at Costa Navarino, a luxury resort in southern Greece. Investigators believe a reservation was subsequently made in her name.
One referee who voluntarily testified told prosecutors he received instructions on how to officiate approximately 30 second-division games between 2018 and 2026. Rather than receiving direct payments, he allegedly benefited from continued appointments to important matches.
A second witness, a businessman and former club president, alleged that Liolios provided him with €50,000 to ensure his team lost a game.
The witness further claimed that €5,000 was subsequently paid to a referee to secure a favorable result in another match.
He also alleged receiving €100,000 through an intermediary in 2016 to resign as club president, facilitating Promitheas Patras's promotion to Greece's top division.
Liolios has rejected the accusations, describing the case as a conspiracy against him.
The scandal has prompted government intervention, including a decision to suspend state funding to the Greek basketball federation.
Investigators are continuing to examine financial transactions, communications and witness testimony, with the possibility of additional suspects emerging.
The case threatens to undermine confidence in Greek basketball's competitive integrity, raising questions about the oversight of refereeing appointments and the influence of club officials.
