An arrest warrant has been issued for former referee Petros Papapetrou as part of an investigation into allegations of influencing match results and bribing referees in Greek basketball.
According to reports in the Greek press, 53-year-old Papapetrou is the first defendant to be ordered into custody as part of the investigation. Following an assessment by the prosecutor's office and the investigating magistrate, it was ruled that the former referee would be held in pre-trial detention.
It was reported that 820 thousand euros in cash were seized during a search of Papapetrou's home, who ended his active refereeing career in the summer of 2026. The source of the money is considered one of the prominent aspects of the case file.
It was stated that in his testimony, Papapetrou denied the charges of bribery and influencing match results, arguing that the money found in his home was derived from his legal earnings and family income, and that he submitted documents to support this.
It was noted that a total of 6 people have been detained as part of the investigation. Among those detained are Greek Basketball Federation President Vangelis Liolios and EuroLeague referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha.
While the judicial process regarding the other suspects continues, there is no finalized conviction regarding the charges in the file yet.
News Source: 12punto
