Turkey arrests refereeing chief in investigation into alleged football fraud

Turkey’s head of football refereeing, Ferhat Gundogdu, and six other people have been arrested in a graft investigation, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on Tuesday. Gurlek said investigators were examining claims of interference in referee classification, assignments, scoring, appointments and examinations on football rules. Searches were conducted at the suspects’ homes, workplaces and offices, he said.

Gundogdu’s vice-president was among those arrested. Gurlek said authorities would continue efforts to clarify allegations that had undermined confidence in Turkish football and to hold those responsible accountable. The arrests come a year after the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees over alleged involvement in an illegal betting scandal.

The federation’s statement on Tuesday did not specifically mention the new arrests. The TFF said it was working to restore public faith in clean football and had addressed betting and illegal betting with the support of the interior, justice, and youth and sport ministries. It said cooperation with those ministries was continuing and that documents requested by investigators had been submitted in sealed envelopes for forensic examination.

The newspaper Hurriyet reported that prosecutors suspected improper influence over referee classifications, promotion examinations and match appointments through document fraud and systemic intimidation. It said the investigation also involved financial audits, telephone records, witness testimony and expert reports. During the earlier referee scandal, a TFF investigation found that 371 of 571 referees officiating in professional leagues had betting accounts, while 152 had actively placed bets.

Police arrested 29 people in that case, including 14 footballers, and more than 1,000 players were suspended.