Eleven persons who work in the field of football are investigated in a case started over manipulation of sports events. Among those involved are presidents of Moldovan football clubs, directors of sports schools and players who represent five teams of the ten competing in the National Division. Four of the 11 persons were remanded in custody. Two more persons will be put on the wanted list, IPN reports.
According to the National Anticorruption Center, starting with 2017, a number of coaches, agents of athletes, sport club owners and managers of the Moldovan Football Federation influenced players of sport clubs to act in an unfair way so as to obtain the scores agreed with interested persons. In exchange for benefits, favors or rewards, the footballers behaved so that the matches ended with the agreed result.
The sums for a fixed match varied between €10,000 and €20,000. The agreements were concluded with betting offices of Asia, with connections with betting offices of EU countries also being identified. Since this July, there were arranged over 20 matches. The profits made by those involved were estimated at €600,000.
The suspects face fines of at most 250,000 lei or two to six years in jail.
