INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin - 4 September 2018 - 17 September 2018
In Australia, three Victorian harness racing individuals have been found guilty of race-fixing and banned indefinitely pending a further investigation by Harness Racing Victoria. In New Zealand, as part of 17-month long Operation Inca, police made 11 arrests for harness race-fixing and drug offending. Sri Lanka’s cricket’s anti-corruption unit detained five Indian spectators on suspicion of match-fixing. In Fiji, the independent investigation committee formed by the country’s football association to look into match fixing allegations against Tavua football will conduct a second round of interviews before handing its report to the ethics committee.
In France, former owners of Nimes Olympique football club were sentenced to three years in jail – 18 months served and 18 months suspended – for their role in a match-fixing case that took place in 2014. In Nigeria, the country’s football federation has given a Super Eagles coach a one-year ban from all football-related activities for allegedly taking bribes to select players. In Malaysia, more than 22,000 people have been arrested in connection with illegal gambling activities.
Last week, INTERPOL General Secretariat hosted the 10th INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force (IMFTF <https://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2018/N2018-092>) meeting which brought 80 officials from global law enforcement, international organizations, government and sports organizations under one roof to identify new ways to investigate and cooperate in cases related to sports corruption and competition manipulation.
IMFTF was created to support member countries with investigations and law enforcement operations in all sports, and maintains a global network of investigators for the sharing of information, intelligence and best practice.
French authorities have added to former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack's legal problems by charging him with favouring his son in negotiations over sponsorship and TV rights. The Lisbon attorney general’s office is charging Benfica in connection with alleged attempts to gain access to magistrates’ investigations involving the club and its league rivals. Apart from the club, the public prosecutor is also charging two court clerks.
Lastly, we invite our readership to watch a video <https://www.sportschau.de/doping/video-the-flourishing-trade-of-illegal-medicine-in-the-eu-100.html> on doping where German scientists show how the EU market offers the same illegal supply with easy access without the need of any prescription.
We welcome submissions on best practices, major developments, new trends and relevant articles for publication in the bulletin. We also welcome hard copies of publications that your Organization is producing in the field of sports corruption at the below address.
The next bi-weekly bulletin will be circulated on Monday, 1 October 2018.
- Anti-Corruption Anti-Doping Athletics Australia Cricket Fiji Fiji FA Football France Germany Harness Racing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Match Fixing New Zealand Nigeria Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Paris Portugal Race Fixing Sri Lanka United Kingdom (UK)
