Belgian police raid 10 football clubs in match-fixing investigation
44 raids in Belgium with another 13 in other European countries
Belgian police, in concert with six other European nations, have launched a multi-jurisdiction investigation into financial fraud and match-fixing in European football.
According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutors office: “The judicial investigation concerns activities in the framework of a criminal organization, money laundering and private corruption.”
Forty-four raids took place across Belgium, with a further 13 conducted in France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia.
According to reports in the Belgian press, police have raided 10 clubs in the Belgian league including Standard Liege, Club Brugge, Ghent, Genk, Kortrijk, Mechelen, Ostend or Lokeren and Andelecht.
Searches were conducted at the homes of high-level board members of football clubs, player agents, referees, a former lawyer, an accounting firm, jewellers and sports journalists.
Several individuals have been arrested pending charges including Belgian football agents Mogi Bayat and Dejan Vejlkovic, Club Brugge manager Ivan Leko, former player Herman Van Holsbeeck and Belgian referees Sebastien Delferière and Bart Vertenten.
The federal investigation was launched at the end of 2017 in response to a report from the Federal Police’s Sport Fraud Unit, following indications of suspicious financial transactions in the Jupiler Pro League during the 2017/18 season.
Belgian justice minister Koen Geens said: “Match-fixing undermines the integrity of sports. the Justice Department is working for a fair sport.”