INTEGRITY IN SPORT Bi-weekly Bulletin 8-22 June 2020 Photos International Olympic Committee INTERPOL is not responsible for the content of these articles. The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not represent the views of INTERPOL or its employees. INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin 8-22 June 2020 INVESTIGATIONS Algeria Football. Algérie : un dirigeant et un agent écroués pour des soupçons de matches arrangés Fahd Halfaia, directeur général de l’ES Sétif et un agent de joueurs, Nassim Saâdaoui, ont été écroués après avoir été inculpés par un juge d’instruction d’un tribunal d’Alger. Ils ont été entendus dans le cadre d’une enquête sur une affaire de matches truqués qui secoue le pays depuis la mi-mai, après la divulgation d’une conversation téléphonique entre les deux hommes, selon la même source. Nassim Saâdaoui a été inculpé d’atteinte à la liberté d’autrui, diffamation, et enregistrement d’appel téléphonique sans consentement, alors que le patron de l’ES Sétif est poursuivi pour marchandage de matches, a précisé la même source. Cette affaire a éclaté après la diffusion sur les réseaux sociaux d’un enregistrement sonore impliquant les deux hommes et d’autres patrons de clubs de première division. Le directeur général de l’ES Sétif conteste l’authenticité de cet enregistrement alors que Nassim Saâdaoui s’est défendu devant la justice en affirmant ignorer qu’il était d’interdit d’enregistrer des conversations téléphoniques. Mon but était de me protéger et prouver mon innocence dans ce marchandage de matches, a-t-il plaidé, selon l’agence algérienne. En mai 2019, deux hommes avaient été mis en examen en France pour des soupçons de matches arrangés impliquant cette même équipe de l’ES Sétif. Lors d’un match entre le DRB Tadjenanet et l’ES Sétif, le 12 mai 2018, un opérateur avait signalé de nombreux paris atypiques passés sur un score exact avec des mises importantes par rapport aux mises habituelles, selon la justice française. Ces « paris atypiques » avaient aussi été repérés par le système de surveillance de l’Autorité de régulation des jeux en lignes (Arjel). La rencontre s’était soldée par une victoire 3-2 du DRB Tadjenanet contre l’ES Sétif. Sur les cinq buts, trois avaient été inscrits sur penalty. En 2018, la BBC avait diffusé une enquête avec des témoins anonymes décrivant la corruption comme un phénomène répandu dans le football algérien. Le Championnat algérien a été suspendu en mars en raison de la pandémie de Covid-19. Fin mai, la fédération algérienne de football (FAF) s’est déclarée favorable à une reprise du Championnat, qui demeure tributaire d’un feu vert du gouvernement. Source: 8 June 2020, Ouest France Football https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/football-algerie-un-dirigeant-et-un-agent-ecroues-pour-des-soupcons-de-matches-arranges- 6861585#:~:text=Alg%C3%A9rie%20%3A%20un%20dirigeant%20et%20un%20agent%20%C3%A9crou%C3%A9s%20pour%20des%20soup%C3%A7ons,agence%2 0de%20presse%20officielle%20APS. INTERPOL is not responsible for the content of these articles. The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not represent the views of INTERPOL or its employees. 2 | Page INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin 8-22 June 2020 India Majority of ICC’s ongoing 50 fixing cases linked to corruptors in India: Official Did the wide-ranging fallout of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal work as a deterrent against corruption in Indian cricket? Not so, say anti-corruption (ACU) officials in the sport. These officials say the corruptors now look to target the state leagues as well as lesser known live competitions - smaller in scale and involving more vulnerable players. “We have 50 investigations that we are undertaking and majority have links to corruptors in India,” Steve Richardson, coordinator of investigations, International Cricket Council ACU said in a webinar on Sports Law and Policy on Saturday. Of late, no high-profile Indian cricketer may have come under the lens, but the player-bookie nexus goes unabated, he said. “Players are the final link in the chain. Problem is with people who organise corruption, who pay the players; who sit outside the sport. I can deliver eight names to Indian governing agencies who are serial offenders and constantly approach the players,” Richardson added. But for Covid 19 applying the brake on all state leagues, many of them would have been on by now. The Karnataka Premier League (KPL) remains suspended and police investigations are on after some players and a team owner were charged with fixing. “The police has filed partial charge-sheets in KPL matter. We are in the process of examination of that evidence,” BCCI ACU head Ajit Singh said. “The entire malice emanates from (illegal) betting. Just to make windfall gains illegally through betting, they approach participants (players, support staff, officials, franchise owners) and the amount of money involved is unimaginable - an annual turnover of R30,000-40,000 crore; including sports and other activities. In state leagues, we got betting examined on certain matches and we discovered it comes to the tune of more than 2 million pounds per match,” said Singh. ACU officials say nothing will change until match-fixing is made a criminal offence in India. “Sri Lanka was the first nation that brought a match-fixing law. For that reason, Sri Lanka cricket is better protected now. In Australia’s case, we are very proactive. At the moment, with no legislation in place in India, they are operating with one hand tied up,” said Richardson. A robust law would also help protect ICC events better. “In Australia, they can stop someone coming to their country before the tournament. India too has ICC events coming up with the T20 World Cup (2021) and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Legislation would be a game changer.” Singh said there would be a strong deterrent if the pending Prevention of Sports Fraud bill became law. “Fans put in a huge amount of emotion and this (fixing) happens… It starts at an early stage; those who are in sports betting nurture these players and start using them later for fixing. It needs to be curbed. For that you need a strong law. Currently it is archaic, and some of the conditions are laughable.” Source: 20 June 2020, Hindustan times Cricket https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/on-this-day-sourav-ganguly-smashed-ton-on-test-debut-at-lord-s/story-BMym25JxJDR3jrTvoUVE3J.html INTERPOL is not responsible for the content of these articles. The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not represent the views of INTERPOL or its employees. 3 | Page INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin 8-22 June 2020 Sri Lanka Former Sri Lanka Sports Minister backs his allegations made on match-fixing in 2011 World Cup final The match on April 2, 2011, is one for folklore in the history of Indian cricket, as the ‘Men in Blue’ went on to win their third World title. India chased down 275 set by Sri Lanka, thanks to vital contributions from Gautam Gambhir (97) and captain MS Dhoni (91 not out). However, the Islander’s defeat did not go down well with the Lankan cricketing fraternity, as many, including former captain Arjuna Ranatunga, demanded an investigation of the summit clash. One of the many voices which were vocal was that of former Sri Lanka Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. During his interview with local TV channel ‘Sirasa’, Aluthgamage claimed that the final was fixed. Now, the current Sri Lanka Sports Minister Dullas Alahapperuma initiated the investigation and demanded a report explaining progress every week. On the other hand, sports secretary KADS Ruwanchandra, on Alahapperuma’s directive, has complained to the ministry’s investigation unit. However, the allegations did not go down well with the former Lankan legends, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena. Sangakkara was the captain of the Lankan side then while Jayawardena smashed a memorable ton in the finals at Wankhede. “Is the elections around the corner…like the circus has started…names and evidence,” Jayawardena responded with his tweet. Responding to Sangakkara and Jayawardene’s tweets, the former sports minister said that he lodged a complaint to ICC in 2012 regarding the matter and is still awaiting a response. “The team who played the final match was not the team we had selected, finalized and sent off. At the last moment, without the consultation of either me as the then minister of Sports or officials of the Sri Lanka Cricket Control Board, four new players had been included to the team,” Aluthgamage told Daily Mirror. “We saw this only when we watched the match. How could four players get replaced without due approvals and consultations? The new players were inexperienced compared to the rest of the team. Why did they do that out of the blue?” added the former minister. Further, Aluthgamage revealed that an Indian newspaper knew about the changes in the Sri Lankan team on the eve of the final, while the sports minister was not intimated. “Mahela has said that the circus has started. I don’t understand why Sanga and Mahela are making a big deal about this. I am not referring to any of our players. Everyone is talking about just two minutes of a half an hour interview I gave to a TV channel. Even Arjuna Ranatunga has openly talked about match-fixing issues earlier,” concluded Aluthgamage. Source: 20 June 2020, The Cricket Times Cricket https://crickettimes.com/2020/06/former-sri-lanka-sports-minister-backs-his-allegations-made-on-match-fixing-in-2011-world-cup-final/ INTERPOL is not responsible for the content of these articles.