INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin - 4-17 April 2016

This is the third Bi-Weekly Bulletin of INTERPOL’s Crimes in Sport Team, which replaces the previous Weekly Media Recap.

In this bulletin, the floor is given to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which is preparing the world’s largest event, the Rio Summer Olympic Games 2016, through constant training efforts in partnership with INTERPOL. This close cooperation leads to having all major events of all Olympic sports as part of the IOC Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS).

For the first two weeks of April, there have been several investigations and sanctions around the world, including football match-fixing in Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom, along with the removal from competition an official Japanese badminton player found guilty of illegal betting. Moreover, a prosecutor requested that the current coach of Italy and future Chelsea manager to be suspended and fined for match-fixing.

In terms of legislation, Germany is strengthening its Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch) to effectively combat sports betting fraud and manipulation of professional competitions. In the meantime, New Zealand’s central betting agency is reforming rules to accept wagers during horse races under a reform package to tackle offshore betting.

Worldwide, a recent report which has been released last Friday shows that tennis accounts for 9 out of 11 suspicious betting patterns.

Meldonium case has been recently under the spotlight of the mass media. There are different discussions on whether it is a Performance Enhancing Drug; the reasons of its inclusion on WADA’s Prohibited List; a possible amnesty for sportsmen involved in the doping scandal and the exclusion of Sharapova from 2016 Rolland Garros tournament.

THE FLOOR TO...

M.me Pâquerette GIRARD-ZAPPELLI, International Olympic Committee (IOC), Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer

We are four months away from the biggest sporting event on the planet, the Rio Summer Olympic Games 2016. Preparations are well underway including the establishment of a Rio2016 Joint Integrity Intelligence Unit between the IOC and Rio2016 Organising Committee with the support of Brazilian law enforcement and INTERPOL. Through the IOC-INTERPOL Global Capacity Building and Training programme that launched in June 2015, we have been able to deliver training in Norway, Peru, Canada, Singapore, the Netherlands and this week in Belgium we will conduct a Partnership Development Meeting. We now have a network of Integrity Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) within every Olympic International Sports Federation. All major events of all Olympic sports are now part of the IOC Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS). In December 2015, we issued the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. This Code aims to harmonise sports rules in relation to competition manipulation based on minimum standards; to harmonise definitions in line with the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions; and to establish minimum violations and minimum standards for disciplinary procedures in order to enable mutual recognition of sanctions. Model Rules have been developed to assist sports organisations in implementing the Code. We’re working with governments, law enforcement, betting entities and sports organisations around the world to ensure strong legal and sports regulatory frameworks, and that collaboration between sport and law enforcement is enabled. Through our partnership with INTERPOL, we aim to continue Capacity Building and Training for effective investigations of crimes related to sport and breaches of sports regulations and so that actions to Recognise, Resist and Report competition manipulation are implemented. We need to continue our efforts to build firewalls around sport to keep out crime and protect clean athletes.

See further:

INVESTIGATIONS

Sierra Leone

The Committee for match fixing has told press that 10 people are expected to face the committee for now but there is possibility that more people will face the committee if there is evidence against them. The enquiry committee also said it has served notices of the allegation(s) made against persons of interest and persons who are expected to aid the enquiry. These persons have been informed that they are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. They have also been informed of their right to be given the opportunity to be heard. They also stated that those who will face the committee will do it in open before the press but the witness will not be exposed because of security reason. Chairman of the committee, Rtd. Major Palo Conteh said they will face the committee because of widespread allegations of match fixing and/or match manipulation against officials and players of the national football team at both U-20 and senior level during international matches played on diverse dates. He said on the basis of these allegations, the Executive Committee of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) which is tasked with the responsibility to maintain probity and integrity in the administration and management of the game of football has earlier duly constituted a committee to inquire into the said allegation pursuant to section 55 of the constitution of SLFA 2012. He also revealed that “we have divided the allegations into themes so as to properly deal with the issues raised without duplicating them. The themes are as follows. Merdeka U-20 competition in Malaysia held in October 2008 which includes Malaysia Versus Sierra Leone, played on the 17th October 2008 and Afghanistan verse Sierra Leone played on the 19th October 2008. Sierra Leone versus Syria International (friendly) played on the 5th June 2009; Cape Verde versus Sierra Leone 2013; South Africa versus Sierra Leone 8th October 2010, and referees trip to Brazil. Chairman said that they will be independent, impartial and dispassionate during the course of the enquiry and shall be driven on the sole motive of truth seeking. And they will also try to conclude the process within the shortest possible time without diluting the thoroughness of the process and protecting the rights of persons accused of match fixing and /match manipulation. And at the end of the proceedings, the committee shall make recommendations on the basis of its findings to the executive committee, stating the grounds of the decision, the provisions on which the said decision is based, the terms of the decision and give notice of the channels of appeal, if any party is aggrieved by its findings."

Source: Bernard Turay, "Sierra Leone Sports: 10 to be investigated over match fixing", 14 April 2016, Awoko, https://awoko.org/2016/04/14/sierra-leone-sports-10-to-be-investigated-over-match-fixing/

United Kingdom

The Football Association of Wales have launched an investigation into claims of match-fixing in our national league, officials have confirmed. The probe has begun after Welsh Premier outfit Port Talbot, who have a proud history and once played in the Europa League, surprisingly lost 5-0 to joint bottom club Rhyl at the weekend. Port Talbot's board of directors have called a meeting with their players for Wednesday evening when the claims will be discussed. It is understood large sums of money went on already relegated Rhyl to be leading at half-time and full-time at odds of 8-1. Port Talbot want to know if any of their players were involved in any of the betting, which is the reason for calling the meeting. Footballers in the Welsh Premier sign a declaration at the start of the season preventing them from placing money on the outcome of matches in the league.

Source: Paul Abbandonato, "FAW launch investigation into shock claims of match-fixing in Welsh football", 13 April 2016, Wales Online, https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/faw-launch-investigation-shock-claims-11179471

Tuesday, 19 April 2016