Matching fixing allegations which rocked Turkey coming to an end.
Tanju Colak, former Galatasaray legend and Turkey International listed as suspect in match fixing investigation.
Sarıyer prosecutor, Fazıl Arslanalp who is leading the match fixing allegations which has plagued Turkish football is coming to an end after a 100 page report with an additional 22 appendixes, was sent to the Beyoglu Public Prosecutions office.
Along with Bekir Yunus Ucar Turkish Football federation and the football pools organization Director who is listed as a “complainant” in the report, there are many other witnesses listed.
According to the Vatan newspaper, there are over 50 suspects listed in the report in which 34 were arrested.
İlhan Cavcav, Chairman of Gençlerbirliği Football club, who had insisted his innocents after his name was listed in the investigation on match fixing in Turkey, is not amongst the suspects.
Nurettin Günday, who was also arrested due to the investigation done by the Bochum prosecutors on the European match fixing scandal, was also listed as a suspect in the report.
Former Galatasaray legend and Turkey International Tanju Çolak and brother, Yücel Çolak are also suspects.
It has been alleged that, the Çolak brothers were listed as suspects after the confession of Metin Korkmaz, when he was remanded in custody awaiting trial over match fixing allegations.
Tanju Çolak and Metin Korkmaz were both business partners with Korkmaz being the general manager.
Arif Erdem, the former Turkey International and Galatasaray legend who is currently the assistant coach of Turkish Super League (Turkey’s top football division) İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesispor is also a suspect.
According to the report, the suspects will be charged with “Fraud of public body’s and institutions”, “to establish a crime organization” and “To be part of a crime organization”.
It is reported that the suspects are facing 5-16 year sentences according to their involvement.
A total of 59 matches were suspected of being fixed in which some suspects are thought to have been involved in more than one occasion.
Fatih Akyel, the former Galatasaray and Fenerbahce player who was in the Turkey squad which won third position in the 2002 World Cup held in Republic of Korea and Japan was amongst the arrested 34 suspects.
