Integrity in sport update: INTERPOL-IOC hold first Fact-Finders workshop to hone investigatory skills

A few interesting articles in this week's recap that covers various sports, from pigeon racing, Australian football, cricket and football. Various investigations underway such as in Ghana, were the current Premier League Board best referee and FIFA Referee has requested an investigation by the Ghana Football Association and Premier League Board, as most goals scored by clubs were dubious. The Australian Football League's integrity unit is also investigating allegations that "game sensitive information" was leaked to the other club ahead of an elimination final.

Singapore's anti-corruption legislation was fully applied when a supervisor at a construction company in Singapore was arrested and convicted to four years jail sentence for match-fixing. The four men, a foreign coach and players, that he managed to bribed were also arrested shortly before the game started by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION

Australia

Brothers Michael and Daniel Talia are understood to be involved in an AFL investigation requested by the Western Bulldogs. The AFL integrity unit is looking into allegations that “game sensitive information” was leaked from the Bulldogs to Adelaide ahead of their elimination final. Adelaide won the match by seven points. The AFL became involved after a request from the Bulldogs. Speculation was rife at Tuesday night’s AFL All-Australian dinner that the investigation involved the Talia brothers. Michael plays for the Bulldogs, but is out of contract, while his older brother Daniel is a Crows defender. In a statement, Bulldogs chief executive David Stevenson said they became aware of the alleged leak three days after the September 12 season-ending loss. The Bulldogs called it “in appropriate transmission of game-sensitive information”. “While we do not believe this matter had a material bearing on the game or the result, we believe it is appropriate to report these matters relating to integrity to the AFL for consideration,” Stevenson added. The Crows also released a statement on Tuesday, denying they had done anything wrong. “We are aware of an internal investigation undertaken by the Western Bulldogs regarding the transmission of some limited game-sensitive information in the lead-up to our recent final,” Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan said. “Our club strongly refutes any suggestion of wrongdoing. “At no stage did our coaches meet to discuss any information received from an external source, nor did it alter our team selection, strategies or game plan.” Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy said on Tuesday night that people had to tread carefully regarding the matter. “Football clubs are family ... it’s such a close knit brethren and feeling among people,” he said. “I’d hate to think that was broken.”

Source: Australian Associated Press, "AFL integrity unity to investigate Western Bulldogs' leaking claims", 23 September 2015, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/23/afl-integrity-unity-western-bulldogs-collusion-claims

Ghana

FIFA Referee William Agbovi has called on the Ghana Football Association and the Premier League Board to investigate clubs for match fixing as most goals scored in the league this season were dubious. The three time best referee in Ghana believes that the phenomenon really exists and that the clubs prefer talking to themselves since they knew most referees could not be compromised. According to Ghana’s current Premier League Board best referee, most of the goal scored by strikers as well as those that were squandered in the course of play need to be investigated since they all happened under dubious circumstances. “My brother the phenomenon really exists not only in Ghana but even in Europe but how do you prove it,” Agbovi questioned. “During officiating, there are some goals that are scored sometimes which are from dubious circumstances but they do not flout our rules so you can’t do anything against that. Most of the clubs prefer ‘dealing’ with themselves and not referees,” he added. William Abgovi also expressed shock at the way some strikers squander goal scoring chances which he believes is deliberate. “Sometime you see a striker squandering a clear goal scoring opportunity but what can you do? So I believe the problem exists but we shall need the PLB and the GFA should start investigating most of the clubs,” he concluded. A lot of football followers and administrators have expressed misgivings about the canker describing the number of goals conceded by some clubs and the results of some of the matches as dubious and irrational.

Source: Sheikh Tophic Sienu, "MATCH FIXING: William Agbovi calls on GFA and PLB to investigate clubs ", 22 September 2015, Ghana Soccer Net, https://ghanasoccernet.com/match-fixing-william-agbovi-calls-on-gfa-and-plb-to-investigate-clubs/

GOOD PRACTICE

Netherlands

INTERPOL and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have held the first three-day Fact-Finders Training workshop in Arnhem, The Netherlands to develop internal investigation skills concerning competition manipulation allegations. The workshop was designed for individuals tasked with investigating allegations, suspicions or reports of the manipulation of a sports competition. Attending the course were officials from football, tennis, cycling and badminton, as well as the Dutch Court of Arbitration in Sports and the Nederlands Olympisch Comité*Nederlandse Sport Federatie (NOC*NSF), which hosted the training. As part of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, the IOC has established a special fund of USD 20 million to better protect the clean athletes. The joint IOC-INTERPOL prevention programme for the fight against match fixing and related corruption is being financed out of the USD 10 million portion for this purpose by the IOC. Key areas dealt with in the three-day workshop included how to undertake a fact-finding inquiry, interview skills, case evaluation and reporting and working with other stakeholders within the sporting environment and beyond. The course is one of a series of awareness and capacity-building initiatives as part of a three-year partnership agreement between INTERPOL and the IOC to better tackle competition manipulation in sport with a focus on prevention and training.

Source: "Joint INTERPOL-IOC training sharpens investigation skills for competition manipulation allegations ", 22 September 2015, Olympic News, https://www.olympic.org/news/joint-interpol-ioc-training-sharpens-investigation-skills-for-competition-manipulation-allegations/247213

Tuesday, 29 September 2015