Integrity in sports update: Federations Register to IOC's Integrity Betting Intelligence System ahead of Rio 2016

This week's media recap has a number of investigations that have resulted in prosecutions and it is interesting to note that it’s not just players that were arrested for match-fixing but also club managers and organized crime bosses. It’s a clear indication that authorities across all levels, be it in government, sports and law enforcement are keen to root out corruption in sport.

The announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that all 28 summer International Federations have joined the winter International Federations in being members of the IOC's Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS) is also wonderful news. The IBIS is a monitoring system which will help to fight illegal betting, match-fixing and related corruption in sport.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION

Greece

Former Olympiakos Volou President and current Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos, Super League President Giorgos Borovilos, businessman Giorgos Tsakogiannis, and dozens of players, coaches, betting agents and Greek soccer officials are among 85 of the 158 original defendants who will stand trial for their alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal that rocked domestic soccer in 2011, a council of appeals court judges decided Thursday. The charges the defendants will face include membership of a criminal organization, bribery, manipulation of results and illegal betting. In his recommendation to the court, prosecutor Panayiotis Poulios accused Beos of directing a criminal organization, money laundering and criminal activity that defrauded the then state-controlled gaming company OPAP of millions of euros from 2008 to 2011. Charges were dropped against the rest of the defendants, including Olympiakos owner Vangelis Marinakis, due to a lack of evidence. However, Marinakis was last month banned from soccer by a corruption-investigating judge looking into another match-fixing scandal involving games held between 2011 and 2013. The shipowner and businessman was ordered to post bail of 200,000 euros and to report to his local police station every 15 days until his trial.

Source: "Volos Mayor Beos among 85 to face trial over match-fixing", 30 July 2015, ekathimerini.com, https://www.ekathimerini.com/200099/article/ekathimerini/news/volos-mayor-beos-among-85-to-face-trial-over-match-fixing

Indonesia

Eight months after a scandalous match between PSS Sleman and PSIS Semarang, four PSS players have spoken out on match fixing behind the game. The match was a Group 1 main division fixture on Oct. 26 last year that ended 3-2 in favor of PSS. The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) was quick to launch an investigation into the alleged match fixing that resulted in the confirmation of a match-fixing attempt. The highest soccer authority in Indonesia then punished several players, coaches and officials of both teams – some of whom were banned from any further involvement in soccer. Four starting players of PSS during the match shared their stories in a discussion forum held by the Indonesian Supporters Discussion Forum (FDSI) in Yogyakarta on Wednesday. The four players, Satrio (defender), Ridwan (midfielder), Moniaga (forward) and Ronald (not his real name), explained how the game plan was pushed by the management to the players. “We [the players] were blamed [for the match fixing], while we were actually the victims,” said Satrio as quoted by kompas.com. Satrio said the match-fixing attempt started with an instruction from club manager Suparjiono to throw the match to avoid being leader of Group 1, so they would not have to face Borneo FC in the semifinal. Suparjiono told the team to avoid Borneo FC if they wanted the chance to be promoted to the country’s top division, Indonesia Super League, Satrio added. The players, according to Satrio, initially refused to obey the instruction – saying they had prepared hard for the match. During the match, they also asked the referee to stop the match as it was no longer a fair game. Ronald, who wore a mask and a hat, told the forum how he was summoned by Suparjiono during the match’s halftime. “In the locker room, the manager told me to create an own goal so we could avoid Borneo FC,” he said. Ronald initially rejected the request, but was summoned to the bench around the 70th minute of the second half and instructed to score an own goal by Suparjiono. Being coerced to do so, Ronald kicked a back pass to the keeper that lead to an own goal. “I really regret doing that. I honestly did not mean to score an own goal,” he said. During the investigation by PSSI, Satrio also added how the manager briefed them on what to say to the investigators. They were told to point a finger at team secretary Ery Febriyanto.Ridwan said he and his teammates only wished to explain the matter by speaking publicly on the scandal; also hoping their sanctions could be overturned. On a separate occasion, Suparjiono denied all accusations when questioned about the matter. “That’s not true. I have no idea and never instructed the players to do anything. This case has been investigated and taken to court by PSSI anyway,” said Suparjiono.

Source: "PSS players speak out on match fixing ", 30 July 2015, Jakarta Post, https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/30/pss-players-speak-out-match-fixing.html

Tuesday, 04 August 2015