Czech police recommend 21 be indicted for match-fixing

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This article was published 09/06/2022 (1549 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech police have recommended 21 people be indicted for suspected corruption in a match-fixing scandal that involves former Czech Football Association deputy Roman Berbr.

The police’s organized crime unit confirmed the move on Thursday.

The investigators believe they were involved in fixing matches in the second and third-tier leagues and other crimes. They are suspected of bribery, embezzlement and participation in an organized crime group, police spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej said.

Of the four key suspects, one faces up to 12 years in prison if tried and convicted, and the three others could get prison terms of up to 10 years, Ibehej said.

Prosecutors at the High Public Prosecutor’s Office in Prague will decide whether to press charges against the suspects or dismiss them. The office deals with the most serious economic and financial crimes and terrorism.

It’s not immediately clear when the prosecution might complete the evaluation in the case.

The scandal broke in October 2020 when Czech police raided the association headquarters and other places as part of a corruption and match-fixing investigation, targeting originally 20 people, including referees and soccer officials.

Berbr, who resigned from his association post following the raids, remained in police custody for three months.

Police also recommended for indictment one unnamed legal entity. Czech media said it was likely a soccer club from Prague, Slavoj Vyšehrad, that was dismissed from the third-tier league by the association this year. Former sports director of the club, Roman Rogoz, was among the 21 suspects.

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