"Turkish prosecutors on Friday issued detention warrants for 21 people, including 17 referees and the president of a top-flight football club, as part of a widening investigation into a betting scandal. At least 18 suspects were detained for questioning in coordinated early-morning raids across Istanbul and 11 other provinces, according to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office. The 17 referees, identified only by their initials, are being investigated for possible charges of "abuse of office" and "influencing the outcome of a match.""
"The scandal erupted after the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees last week. TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said that a government agency had determined 371 of 571 active referees held accounts with betting companies. Of those, 152 referees allegedly placed bets on football matches, including seven top-level referees and 15 top-level assistant referees. Haciosmanoglu added that 10 referees placed bets on more than 10,000 matches each over five years, while some only placed one bet."
Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 21 people, including 17 referees and the president of Eyupspor, in an expanding betting investigation. At least 18 suspects were detained during coordinated raids across Istanbul and 11 other provinces. The referees are investigated for alleged abuse of office and influencing match outcomes. Murat Ozkaya and Fatih Sarac were questioned; Kasımpasa had been placed under trusteeship after a separate corruption probe. The Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after findings that 371 of 571 active referees held betting accounts. Authorities allege 152 referees placed bets, with some wagering thousands of matches, undermining officiating integrity.
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