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Türkiye Prosecutors on Friday issued detention warrants for 21 people, including 17 referees and the president of a top soccer club, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into a betting scandal.
At least 18 suspects were detained for questioning in coordinated early morning raids istanbul and 11 other provinces, according to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office. The 17 referees, identified only by their initials, are being investigated for possible charges of “abuse of office” and “influencing the outcome of the match”.
Turkish Super Lig club Eyuspor president Murat Ozkaya and former Kasimpasa owner Fatih Sarac are also being questioned as part of the investigation. Republic Newspapers and other media reported. Kasimpasa was placed under trusteeship in September following a separate corruption investigation into the holding company that previously owned the club.
The scandal came to light when the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees last week. TFF president Ibrahim Hasiosmanoglu revealed that a government agency had determined that 371 out of 571 active referees had accounts in betting companies. Of those, 152 referees allegedly bet on football matches, including seven top-level referees and 15 top-level assistant referees.
Hasiosmanoglu said 10 referees placed bets on more than 10,000 matches each over five years, while some placed only one bet. One referee reportedly placed bets on 18,227 games, raising serious concerns about the integrity of officiating in Turkish football.
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