By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The ongoing investigation into Greece’s major match-fixing and bribery scandal has extended to the former senior director of officiating of Euroleague Basketball, Richard Stokes.
Court documents within a case spanning a ten-year window from 2016 to 2026 have linked Stokes to Vangelis Liolios, the president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation.
The probe targets six suspects, including Liolios and prominent EuroLeague referees, who face charges of bribery and unfair interference across roughly 50 suspicious games.
According to case files, Stokes was tied to illicit favors. A team insider testified that he was asked to organize an all-expenses-paid trip for Stokes at the Costa Navarino luxury destination in June 2021. The request came during a meeting with three out of the six known suspects, Liolios, Ilias Koromilas, and Giorgos Mavraganis. Liolios, who then ran the club Promitheas before taking over EOK two months later, allegedly paid the 17,000-euro bill.
This three-week getaway took place just months after a controversial 7DAYS EuroCup Final between UNICS and AS Monaco, which involved allegations against Koromilias that have since been rejected.
Prosecutors believe the Greek Federation boss funded the stay to guarantee good terms for his team and push for the advancement of referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha in continental assignments.
Records show Tsaroucha had visited the same resort a year earlier.
The insider confirmed he emailed the booking details straight to Koromilas, who stayed at the property at the same time as Stokes.
Stokes served as the referee director for Euroleague Basketball from March 2015 until June 2023.
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