Several referees, assistant referees and the chairman of an unnamed Super Lig club have had arrest orders issued against them by Turkish prosecutors following an investigation into alleged betting on top-level football matches.
At least 18 of the 21 suspects have been detained following coordinated early morning raids, according to state-owned Anadolu news agency.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said the 17 referees, who were arrested in Istanbul and 11 other provinces, are being investigated for a possible charge of “influencing the outcome of a match,” among others.
The arrests and warrants come only a week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees following an investigation which found numerous bets being placed on football matches which officials working in Turkey’s professional leagues were in charge of.
TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the situation as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.”
In response, through a joint statement on Wednesday, the referees called the allegations “outrageous accusations.”
They insisted none bet on a match they officiated, with some claiming their betting activities took place when they were amateur referees.
What did Istanbul’s prosecutor’s office say about the arrests?
A statement on Friday from Istanbul’s chief prosecutor’s office added that on grounds of abuse of duty and manipulating match results, the arrests had been ordered.
According to a number of local outlets, including Cumhuriyet newspaper, the statement added that Murat Ozkaya, president of Turkish Super Lig club Eyupspor, and Fatih Sarac, former owner of Kasimpasa, were also being questioned as part of the probe.
One person is facing arrest for spreading misleading information on social media.
Why are Turkish referees under scrutiny?
Last week, TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu announced that a government agency had uncovered widespread illegal betting occuring on top football matches across the country.
The agency had determined that 371 of 571 active referees in the country held betting accounts with 152 having allegedly placed bets on football matches. Of those, 22 refereed in the top league.
One referee had allegedly bet 18,227 times, and 42 referees were alleged to have bet on more than 1,000 football matches each.
In its own independant probe, the TFF’s disciplinary board has already imposed bans ranging from 8-12 months on 149 officials for involvement in betting activity.
Edited by: Kieran Burke
