6 Detained and Large Cash Found in Referees' Homes in Greek Basketball Match-Fixing Investigation

Within the scope of the investigation initiated in April upon complaints of match manipulation in Greek basketball, 6 people, including Hellenic Basketball Federation President Vangelis Liolios and EuroLeague referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha, were detained on charges of match-fixing and bribery. A total of 922,000 euros in cash was found in the homes of two referees during the investigation.

Following the operations organized after the Athens prosecutor's office found evidence that match-fixing and illegal betting took place in matches including the first league, 820,000 euros of unexplained origin were seized in the home of one of the suspect referees, and 102,000 euros in the home of the other. While it was stated that the statements given by two informants in return for amnesty under protected witness status played a key role in the investigation, it was reported that approximately 50 matches between 2016 and 2026 were examined due to suspicion.

Panathinaikos Basketball Club made a harsh statement following the operations, reacting to referee appointments and the system, and announced that they would resort to legal action. Ergin Ataman, who coaches the club, had previously made criticisms regarding referee management in the Greek league.