Greek basketball executive Vangelis Tsapas has publicly confessed to his involvement in the match-fixing scandal known as Basketgate after securing criminal immunity from prosecutors.
Speaking on the Live News television programme on the Mega channel, Tsapas stated that he had been part of the problem and approached judicial authorities to seek personal redemption for his past conduct.
Tsapas directed serious accusations at Vangelis Liolios, the former president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, alleging that the administrator sought to manipulate fixtures and control institutional power across the sport by any means available.
The whistleblower built his profile in Greek basketball by overseeing the rise of Faros Keratsiniou and Ionikos Nikaias, two clubs from Piraeus that advanced through the national divisions under his stewardship. The Hellenic Basketball Federation, known as the EOK, serves as the governing body responsible for domestic competitions and national teams.
The 100,000 Euro Promotion Payment
During the television broadcast, Tsapas addressed questions regarding a payment of 100,000 euros he accepted from Liolios after declining to promote his team to the higher division.
Tsapas explained that his club lacked the capacity to move up because a promised home arena had never been built and other financial backers had withdrawn their support. Under Greek basketball regulations, clubs earning promotion to the top professional tier must secure suitable arena facilities and satisfy strict financial criteria.
Tsapas stated that he took the money as necessary compensation for relinquishing the promotion place to Liolios. He added that securing the division berth through other methods would have cost Liolios substantially more.
Liolios had built a strong administrative reputation with Promitheas Patras, guiding the provincial club from regional divisions to the top tier of Greek basketball. As part of that project, Liolios developed Promitheas Park, a modern training facility and academy complex that won widespread praise across the sport.
Tsapas observed that while Liolios had entered the sport with theoretically promising prospects through academy investments and modern infrastructure, his focus eventually shifted entirely toward manipulating matches and maintaining power in every form.
He added that numerous witnesses could confirm the vindictiveness Liolios allegedly showed toward club officials and basketball figures who refused to comply with his demands.
Bribery Allegations Involving Referee Tsaroucha
Tsapas also detailed evidence he provided to prosecutors concerning prominent referee Vaso Tsaroucha, who entered her formal plea before judicial authorities investigating the match-fixing case on Monday.
He described Tsaroucha as an operational tool within the system created under Liolios. He stated that veteran refereeing official Petros Koromilas helped her rise through the officiating ranks and assigned her to numerous fixtures, which Tsapas claimed led to problematic officiating in most of those games.
Tsapas told the programme that Tsaroucha took money during her officiating career. In sworn testimony given to judicial investigators, Tsapas stated that she received a payment of 5,000 euros for officiating specific matches.
Tsapas said he met Tsaroucha outside a cafe and handed over the cash himself, adding that while he could confirm the payments he personally made, he could not comment on matters beyond his direct knowledge.
Tsaroucha has officiated in the Greek Basket League and continental European club competitions. In Greece, professional referee assignments are managed by central refereeing committees, which have faced intense scrutiny throughout the judicial investigation into rigged fixtures.
Judicial Investigation and Motives
The key witness confirmed that his testimony to prosecutors detailed specific incidents and allegations involving several other prominent figures in Greek refereeing, including Koromilas and Anastasios Papapetrou.
During the interview, Tsapas also addressed incidents involving Panagiotis Giannakis, a legendary former Greek national team player and head coach, as well as veteran professional center Giorgos Bogris.
Offering an apology, Tsapas acknowledged that his actions were wrong but argued that the corrupt practices would never have stopped without an official legal reckoning, calling the investigation the only opportunity to end systemic manipulation.
Addressing questions about illegal betting, Tsapas stated that he has never placed a sports bet in his life. He insisted that his participation in manipulating outcomes was motivated solely by what he described as the futility of the sporting results, rather than gambling profits.
Tsapas stated that he stepped away from basketball entirely once Liolios became federation president and now observes from the outside. He stressed that he serves no club or commercial interest, carries no personal vendettas, and agreed to testify only after receiving formal criminal immunity from prosecutors.
