Former basketball referee Papapatrou remanded in custody – €820,000 found at his home
Former referee Petros Papapatrou was remanded in custody on charges of passive bribery as a continuing offence at felony level. €820,000 in cash was discovered at his home.
Remand of former referee in match-fixing scandal in Greek basketball
Former international basketball referee Petros Papapatrou was remanded in custody following several hours of testimony before an investigating magistrate, according to Newsit.gr. The accused faces charges of passive bribery as a continuing offence at felony level, as part of a match-fixing case that has shaken Greek basketball.
Papapatrou, who withdrew from active service in the summer of 2025, spent approximately three hours refuting the charges accusing him of four acts of bribery. He presented the investigating magistrate with numerous documents to justify the €820,000 in cash discovered at his home.
According to his testimony, from 2001 to 2026 he accumulated income reaching approximately 1.5 million euros – from his work as a referee, from a position in the forestry service and from family sources. He also claimed that he lives modestly in Katerini, in his own home, and that he deliberately chose to make regular bank withdrawals and keep part of his money in cash at his home.
With regard to charges of four acts of bribery cited by a prosecution witness, Papapatrou categorically denied them. For two of the cases, he claimed he was elsewhere at that time, and described the witness as "unreliable". Regarding the nickname "Grammaros" attributed to him, he argued that it was said in an ironic manner and was misinterpreted.
Papapatrou's testimony was the first among the testimonies of six people arrested in connection with the case. In the coming days, the other defendants are expected to appear before the investigating magistrate to give their own explanations as part of the investigation into match-fixing in Greek basketball.
Source: Newsit.gr