Eight individuals, including three referees and Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya, have been formally arrested in İstanbul as part of a widening investigation into illegal betting and match manipulation in Turkish football.
The suspects were among the 19 individuals who were detained during Nov 7 operations.
Former president of the Süper Lig side Kasımpaşa, Mehmet Fatih Saraç was also detained but released within hours.
Authorities' findings regarding wrongdoing in football was first disclosed to the public by Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Hacıosmanoğlu, who revealed in late October that 152 referees across professional leagues had placed bets, with 371 out of 571 active referees found to have betting accounts. The Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) subsequently issued bans ranging from 8 to 12 months for 149 referees.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office also revealed that it had been conducting an investigation into betting and match fixing allegations since April. (VK)
