Four persons, among whom a coach of the Moldovan Tennis Federation, were arrested for 72 hours on November 28 on suspicion that they fixed a number of tennis matches played in Moldova and abroad. For particular sums of money, the suspects convinced tennis players and coaches to fix the score. Knowing the results of the matches, these won thousands of euros in bets, IPN reports.
According to the National Anticorruption Center, the coach, who also umpired tennis matches, together with another three persons persuaded players to ensure a particular score or to have a particular behavior at national and international competitions. There were identified cases when players agreed to fix matches in exchange for reward. The suspects acted in collusion with coaches and players from abroad, including from Romania, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states.
As a result of searches at suspects’ homes, officers of the National Anticorruption Center and prosecutors seized bank cards from which transfers were made to betting shops, mobile phones and computers with correspondence about the fixing of sports events. A sum of €14,000 that was supposedly collected in bets was seized from a safe deposit box at a bank.
