Former Referee Ilias Koromilas Jailed as Two Others Face House Arrest

by · Greek City Times

Former Greek basketball referee Ilias Koromilas has been remanded in custody following his testimony before an investigating magistrate in the BasketGate case involving alleged match-fixing and bribery. Fellow referees Vaso Tsaroucha and Tasos Pil oidis, meanwhile, will remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring bracelets, following a joint decision by the investigating magistrate and prosecutor.

The court also barred Tsaroucha and Pil oidis from any involvement in basketball. They are the only defendants in the case to receive this form of pre-trial restriction, according to the report.

During his testimony, Koromilas denied having any authority over referee appointments and said he could not influence the selection process.

“I was never a member of the Central Refereeing Committee (KED), nor did I have any authority or involvement in the selection, appointment or replacement of referees for matches,” he reportedly told the magistrate.

Read more: Greek Basketball Referee Jailed Over Match-Fixing Scandal

“Those decisions belong exclusively to the competent refereeing bodies. Consequently, I had no authority over referee appointments or replacements, nor could my position and duties have given me decisive influence over the selection and appointment process,” he added.

Koromilas Denies Allegations of Bribery

Koromilas also denied involvement in nine alleged acts of bribery involving referees and club officials.

“I had no involvement whatsoever in the acts attributed to me, which I categorically deny in their entirety,” he reportedly said.

He argued that the accusations against him relied primarily on testimony from just two people and lacked specific objective evidence establishing his personal involvement in the alleged activities.

The case also includes allegations that a referee accepted bribes in connection with 13 matches he officiated, allegedly influencing their outcomes in exchange for payment. The accused referee denied any connection with paid match-fixing.

During his testimony, the former referee described the allegations made against him by a prosecution witness as fabrications. He also cited a complaint he had filed against the witness for allegedly giving false testimony.

Panagiotis Giannakis Incident Also Under Scrutiny

Koromilas also addressed an incident involving Panagiotis Giannakis in 2018, when Giannakis coached Aris Thessaloniki.

The incident concerned Giannakis’ ejection after receiving two technical fouls during a match that investigators are examining. Reports allege that the decision served as a “gift” to a person implicated in the case.

Koromilas reportedly rejected that account.

“Panagiotis Giannakis is a legend of Greek basketball. I would never do anything to harm him,” he said.

Giannakis intends to join the proceedings in support of the prosecution.

(Source: AMNA)

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