Turkey Match Fixing Scandal : 15 more jailed / Latest News
15 more suspects put in prison, pending trial over match fixing probe scandal in Turkey, including officials from Fenerbahce Istanbul, a chairman and a manager from turkish football league.
A Turkish court sent 15 more suspected people to prison, including top soccer club executives, pending trial on Thursday as part of a major match-fixing investigation which the prime minister said is staining the country’s image.
Fifteen out of 20 suspects who were referred to court for arrest late on Wednesday on charges of match-fixing and fraud as part of a probe into an alleged match fixing scandal, which has league champions Fenerbahce Istanbul in its centre, were arrested early Thursday.
A total of 22 have been jailed after seven were sent to jail in Turkey match fixing scandal in Istanbul in the last 24 hours.
Three executives of champions Fenerbahce, the chairman of Sivasspor and manager of Eskisehirspor were among the 15 sent to prison on the orders of an Istanbul court, state-run Anatolian news agency reported.
Among those arrested on Thursday are Fenerbahçe club managers Şekip Mosturoğlu and İlhan Ekşioğlu, Fenerbahce club Infrastructure Coordinator Cemil Turan, Eskisehirspor manager Bülent Uygun, Sivasspor Chairman Mecnun Otyakmaz, former football player Ümit Karan, player Korcan Çelikay, Ahmet Çelebi, Yusuf Turallı, Abdullah Başak, Bülent İbrahim İşcen, Tamer Yelkovan, Doğan Ercan, Mehmet Yenice, Sami Dinç and Ali Kıratlı.
However, the court ruled in favor of the release of Doğan Ercan, Mehmet Şen, Cengiz Demiral, Yavuz Ağrıgöl and Erdem Konyar. Seven detainees who were earlier put behind bars as part of the probe.
Also on Thursday, 11 more suspects were referred to the Beşiktaş Courthouse to be interrogated by prosecutors.
Arrest Warrant Fenerbahce Istanbul President in Turkey’s biggest match fixing scandal
Meanwhile, specially authorized Public Prosecutor Mehmet Berk, who is handling the investigation, requested the 11th High Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım on Wednesday and the court approved the request. The prosecutor’s office decided earlier on Wednesday to revoke an order for Yıldırım’s detention due to his health, which worsened after he was taken into custody on Sunday. The football club chairman was receiving hospital treatment on Wednesday for suspected heart problems.
The period of time Yıldırım could be legally detained ends on Thursday, but the prosecutor asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Yıldırım. The prosecutor is now able to call him in for an interrogation after he receives medical treatment as a result of the arrest warrant in his name.
Match Fixing Scandal Turkey : Football Federation Examination for footballer’s agents stolen and sold
Turkish police conducted raids of homes and sports clubs’ premises, detaining some 60 people suspected of manipulating games in the Turkish league last season, making it the latest country to be affected by a slew of match-fixing and betting scandals. The İstanbul chief of police’s office said in a statement on Wednesday that investigators had obtained evidence of cheating and bribery involving 19 first and second-division games. Police also stated they had seized eight unlicensed guns during the sweep and had evidence that some players were threatened into forfeiting money owed to them, the statement said.
It also revealed a criminal gang stole and sold the questions in a football federation examination in March and had threatened players to force them to forego earnings.
The investigation has thrown preparations for the new season into disarray just a month before kick-off and the Turkish Football Federation is expected to act soon in response to the allegations without waiting for the outcome of the case. Among possible sanctions are exclusion from competitions, relegation to a lower division and potentially the loss of tens of millions of dollars in income. Any individuals convicted of match-fixing could face lengthy prison sentences.
Shares in major İstanbul club Fenerbahçe, which won the league for a record 18th time last season, have lost a third of their value since news of the police raids and arrest of its oresident along with important administratives emerged.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA has set a deadline of July 15 for confirmation of the team taking part in the third Champions League qualifying round. Trabzonspor were runners-up to Fenerbahçe in the league and would normally take that place.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan : Match Fixing Scandal is a stain for Turkey Football
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, himself a Fenerbahce fan and a congress member, has called for a rapid and just outcome to the investigation, saying the affair was staining the country’s image internationally.
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