INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin - 31 October 2016-13 November 2016

In this edition of the bi-weekly bulletin, we focus on several match-fixing allegations in Europe and Asia. Most of the Asian cases date back years where many of the match-fixing events took place. Russia, after its ban from the Olympics, has passed a new anti-doping law that will criminalize the inducement to doping activities by coaches and medical staff. Consequences include up to three years of prison or a fine up to 300,000 rubles.

The Integrity in Sports Unit is still involved in many events around the world in the upcoming month to raise awareness on the severity of match-fixing, among other crimes in sports.

INVESTIGATIONS

Greece

A total of 84 people sat in the dock on Monday for a criminal trial relating to soccer match-fixing between 2009 and 2011. Those facing trial include soccer club officials, players and referees. According to the indictment ruling, a key role in the affair was played by the former president of Olympiakos Volos Achilleas Beos, the elected mayor of Volos currently on suspension due to the criminal charges levelled against him. The list of 69 witnesses in the trial include Olympiakos president Vangelis Marinakis who had originally faced charges in the affair but was subsequently exempted.

Source: "Eighty-four suspects in the dock for match-fixing", 31 October 2016, Kathimerini, https://www.ekathimerini.com/213262/article/ekathimerini/news/eighty-four-suspects-in-the-dock-for-match-fixing

Malaysia

The Asian Football Confederation said on Monday it had provisionally suspended four Laos national-team members as it investigates suspected manipulation of "multiple matches" going back years. The players -- Saynakhonevieng Phommapanya, Chintana Souksavath, Moukda Souksavath and Phatthana Syvilay -- were provisionally suspended for 60 days for "various violations... related to suspected match manipulation," the AFC said in a statement. The Kuala Lumpur-based federation added that other footballers also were under investigation, without naming them. All four of those suspended were active for the ongoing AFC Solidarity Cup -- a competition of teams eliminated from World Cup and Asian Cup contention -- and had competed in Laos's first game last week, a 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka, the AFC said. They were sidelined because "their ongoing participation provided a direct threat to the integrity of the competition," it said. "The provisional suspensions relate not only to the AFC Solidarity Cup but also to suspected manipulation of multiple matches committed by the representative teams of Laos since 2010.”The investigation is ongoing and not limited to those players provisionally suspended." The AFC gave no further details.

Source: "Laos footballers suspended in match-fixing probe", 7 November 2016, The West Australian https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/33130691/laos-footballers-suspended-in-match-fixing-probe/#page1

Monday, 14 November 2016