Scandal in Greek basketball: €820,000, attempted bribery in EuroCup and phantom students
New evidence from case files on the match-fixing ring reveals referees' code words, €820,000 in cash and involvement in school championships.
Code words, millions in cash and fixed European finals
To Vima publishes new revelatory evidence from the case files on the match-fixing ring in Greek basketball: coded language between referees, astronomical sums in cash, attempted bribery in a European final and involvement of school championships for bonus points in the Panhellenic Examinations.
"Dust and scraps" — the referees' coded language
At the centre of the prosecuting authority's investigation are eight witness statements that lay bare how the ring operated. Among the findings stands out the statement of a former referee who revealed the coded language used by those involved. The word "dust" meant controlled whistles with minor protests, whilst the command "dust and scraps" meant securing the desired result by any means.
The "Grammarist" and the €820,000
Particular weight in the case files is borne by former international referee Petros Papapatreous, who was questioned before the investigating judge. According to the case documents, the nickname "grammarist" arose from written messages he sent to officials, requesting "500, 1,000 or 1,500 grammes" — a term that directly referred to monetary amounts. Found in his possession were €820,000 in cash. His defence claims in a written submission that these sums are fully justified income from his lengthy career in refereeing.
From Prometheus to the EuroCup final
The witness statements extend from the domestic backdrop to international competitions. A businessperson-witness stated that Greek international basketball player Giorgos Bogris was forced to terminate his contract with Prometheus just two months after signing it. According to this statement, the player had received warnings that otherwise he would face continuous technical fouls and crushing fines.
The case acquires a European dimension through the statement of a Greek referee regarding the second EuroCup final in 2021 between UNICS Kazan and Monaco. The witness reported that a Ukrainian colleague in the refereeing panel received an offer of €10,000 from a defendant in the Greek case in exchange for altering the result in favour of the Russian team. The Ukrainian referee refused and submitted an official complaint to the relevant competition authorities.
Pressure on female referee — six months without assignments
Serious questions are raised also by the statement of a female referee. She reported that when she turned to justice over insulting posts against her, she came under pressure from an involved party to withdraw the complaint. She was conveyed a warning that "whoever gets involved in this will disappear". Because she refused to give in, she was immediately removed from assignments for six months in the national categories and demoted competitively.
Liolios: "Organised conspiracy"
The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EBE) Vangelis Liolios categorically denies the allegations of bribery and match-fixing, characterising the case as an organised conspiracy. His lawyer stated that the charge is unfounded and that there are no incriminating messages for his client, whilst also requesting examination of three top refereeing figures. The statements of the defendants before the investigating judge are ongoing.
"Phantom" students and bonus points in the Panhellenic Examinations
The case now has institutional ramifications. The Ministry of Education is called upon to investigate complaints from the Private Educational Institutions Federation (OIELE) concerning fictitious attendance of "phantom" students at certain private schools. These students are said to have participated in school basketball teams, won titles and utilised athletic distinctions for special bonus points in the Panhellenic Examinations, thereby obtaining preferential access to tertiary education. OIELE is calling for strict sanctions, revocation of licences of the involved educational institutions and dismissal of teachers who signed false attendance records.
Source: To Vima