Top football clubs, including the wealthiest team and 18-time league champions, Fenerbahçe along with the topflight club Giresunspor are being investigated.
Turkey’s increased commitment to fighting organized crime. Former Interior Minister Beşir Atalay said the Justice and Development Party is dedicated to combating corruption and crime and he said “Turkey is becoming a transparent society.”
Last year a similar investigation netted more than 40 arrests for match-fixing, though most of them were released without charges. CNN also reports that last month 11 people were banned from involvement in professional football for life and 23 more suspended after the Turkish Football Federation connected them to the manipulation of 17 games between 2008 and 2010.
The current investigation has profiled more high-profile arrests, and officials expect many to face charges under a new law meant to regulate corruption and violence surrounding football. The law allows for 5-12 year sentences for match-fixing. A dozen of those arrested already have been referred to court and are being questioned by prosecutors, also according to USA Today. Others are being questioned in police custody.
Games can be fixed by bribing referees or players. Emmanuel Emenike, a Nigerian player, is said to have been bribed by Fenerbahçe, though the club denies it.
Corruption in football clubs extends beyond Turkey. USA Today reports that this year Germany and Finland have tried people involved with organized crime for fixing games. Italy is similarly investigating this growing international corruption problem. Chris Eaton, head of FIFA security and a former Interpol officer, claims that tens of millions of dollars can be made with each match-fix. FIFA is investigating more than 300 potentially fixed matches.
UPDATE:
On Monday Turkish police arrested 22 more people in connection with the ongoing match-fixing investigation raising the total arrested now to 81. Monday’s arrests included high profile including a former executive committee member of the Turkish Football Federation, the goalie of the Ankaragucu club, and the president of the Trabzonspor club.
Two of the Fenerbahçe players that were detained in the initial wave of arrests, Emmanuel Emenike and Sezer Ozturk, were released from custody after questioning. BBC reports that more
than half of those arrested last weekend were also released from custody.
The investigation is focusing now on 19 matches in the top two divisions in the past season alone.
League games will begin on August 5th as scheduled and the head of the Turkish Football Federation stated no disciplinary action will be taken until indictments are made. However, the Football Federation is deciding on Friday if they will apply sanctions to Fenerbahçe that is at the center of the scandal.
