BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil’s decrease home of Congress on Wednesday opened a probe right into a soccer match-fixing scandal that has rocked the game within the South American nation.
It is the third investigation into proof of wrongdoing by soccer gamers who allegedly made certain to get bookings and gave away penalties in change for bribes.
The congressional inquiry will final no less than 120 days and can hear testimony from gamers, executives of sports betting corporations and membership officers. Brazil’s federal police and the district legal professional’s workplace of the state of Goias are additionally concerned within the case, and each our bodies will have the ability to use the findings of Congress in its personal investigations.
The first investigation of the legal professional’s workplace in Goias confirmed that gamers have been supplied between $10,000 and $20,000 to carry out particular actions, like receiving yellow playing cards and freely giving penalty kicks. Alleged criminals would then revenue on betting websites.
“Our intention is to do away with these crimes in Brazilian soccer, which hurt the passion of millions of fans,” stated congressman Felipe Carreras. “This is the biggest scandal of Brazil’s soccer history. The credibility of our soccer is in jeopardy. We don’t know whether a given yellow card, a red card or a penalty was supposed to happen or not.”
Carreras additionally stated one of many targets of the congressional inquiry is to feed new laws to control sports betting within the South American nation. Several top-flight division golf equipment have these corporations as their sponsors.
The investigation kicked off in November, specializing in three matches, and has widened to 11 video games, although some have been in decrease leagues.
The matches spanned the second half of 2022 and the primary three months of this yr. A district legal professional advised The Associated Press on Monday that the scandal has probably worldwide attain. Local media reported that suspected criminals talked about having contacts within the United States, Greece and Lithuania.
Days earlier, a court docket in Goias accepted prices in opposition to 16 individuals accused of taking a part of the scheme, together with eight soccer gamers in Brazil’s first and second divisions. On Tuesday, Brazil’s sports court docket suspended all these gamers.
Former Flamengo chairman and lawmaker Eduardo Bandeira de Mello advised the AP the congressional inquiry can be key for the investigation’s visibility.
“This will have an educational effect. Any young athlete who tries to get into a scheme like this will think twice,” stated de Mello.
The lawmaker chaired Flamengo when Colorado Rapids midfielder Max Alves performed for the membership. Alves was named within the probe, although not charged, and his MLS membership suspended him. Alves has not commented publicly.
“I am very sad about that. We always had a very affectionate relationship with these players coming from Flamengo’s youth divisions,” de Mello stated. “All I can do is to hope that his participation was the smallest possible.”
Brazil’s authorities is reportedly getting ready an govt order to tax sports betting corporations, which native golf equipment are already protesting about.
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