Whistleblower appears as role model at Youth Olympics & investigation continues against Ghanian FA President

This week’s media recap includes the highly broadcasted interview given by Wilson Raj Perumal to CNN, in which he reveals details of his years as a match-fixer. He makes reference to the Asiagate scandal, his previous convictions for match-fixing and how he believes more could be done to tackle the issue.

Also featured this week is El Salvador, whose General Attorney confirmed this morning in a press conference the prosecution of 14 people for their involvement in match-fixing. While eleven are football players, the remaining three are businessmen with possible links to Perumal.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION

El Salvador

The General Attorney confirmed this morning in a press conference the details of the prosecution of 14 people for match-fixing involving the national team. The Attorney stated that they are being prosecuted for the offences of money laundering and concealment of money laundering (up to 10 years imprisonment) as well as unlawful association (up to 9 years imprisonment), given that match-fixing is not yet a criminal offence in the country. International assistance has been requested. Eleven of the fourteen are football players, while three are businessmen possibly allied to the Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal (two of which are Nicaraguan and one Malayan-Singaporean).

Source: "Selecciones de bajo nivel son más fáciles de comprar por mafia", 30 August 2014, La Prensa Grafica, https://www.laprensagrafica.com/2014/08/30/selecciones-de-bajo-nivel-son-mas-faciles-de-comprar-por-mafia-fgr

Ghana

World football governing body FIFA has referred a match-fixing matter against Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to the national association for redress. The decision arrived after the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee concluded a preliminary investigation in relation to the alleged match manipulation involving officials of the GFA and a players' agent licensed by the same association, FIFA said in a statement on Monday. It followed articles published by UK newspaper The Telegraph between June 22-24 and the airing of the Dispatches program "How to fix a football match" on Channel Four on June 23 that made claims of an alleged case of match manipulation linked to the organization of international friendly matches involving Ghana's national team, the Black Stars. However, the GFA has denied the match-fixing allegations and subsequently requested the Ghana Police Service to investigate two persons for misrepresenting the association with an attempt to defraud. Consequently, Christopher Forsythe, a FIFA player agent and Obed Nketia, a football official, were invited by the police following a report filed by the GFA but have been granted police inquiry bail. No charges have been brought against them at the moment.

Source: "FIFA refers match-fixing case to Ghana FA", 26 August 2014, Shangai Daily, https://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=237384

South Africa

A referee who was the whistleblower in a football match-fixing scandal says his life has changed. Cedrick Muvhali, a referee employed by the SA Football Association (Safa), told the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday that he had been accused of being a spy by colleagues, after he reported a fellow referee to officials. Muvhali identified former assistant referee Clifford Malgas, who was sitting in the dock, as the man who had approached him to “fix” matches. They were both members of the Soweto Referees’ Association at the time. Malgas was arrested last October, and is accused of match-fixing in the Vodacom Cup tournament in June, 2011. Muvhali said he realised then that when he got back to Joburg his life would be different. Prosecutor Louis van Niekerk asked him how it was different and Muvhali said he had been called names such as “impimpi” (a spy).

Source: "Referee accused of being a spy", 27 August 2014, iol, https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/referee-accused-of-being-a-spy-1.1741677