- Title: GERMANY: FIRST GERMAN FOOTBALLER IS ARRESTED IN SOCCER MATCH FIXING SCANDAL
- Date: 11th March 2005
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 11, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. EXTERIOR COURTHOUSE/SIGN 2. INTERIOR COURT FOYER (FILE - BERLIN, GERMANY) (FILE - DECEMBER 12, 1997)(MUTE)(REUTERS PHOTO) 3. PHOTO OF STEFAN KARL BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 11, 2005)(REUTERS) 4. ARRIVAL OF COURT SPOKESMAN ARND BOEDECKER FOR STATEMENT 5. JOURNALISTS 6. SOUNDBITE (GERMAN) ARND BOEDECKER, COURT SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "The regional league football player Stefan Karl was arrested in Chemnitz today. He was heard by the judge in Berlin this afternoon. There he received his arrest warrant. He is charged with fraud and organised crime. In May 2004 he allegedly helped another accused Robert Hoyzer manipulate a match between Chemnitz and Paderborn. One allegedly agreed that the accused deliberately committed fouls to give referee Hoyzer an opportunity to make decisions accordingly." 7. JOURNALISTS 8. SOUNDBITE (GERMAN) ARND BOEDECKER, COURT SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "The accused is in jail now. Legally he now has two possibilities, firstly he can appeal against the arrest, secondly he can file for habeas corpus. Until now Karl has done either. However the accused has indicated through his lawyer that would like to comment on the charges against him on Monday." 9. EXTERIOR JAIL Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 26th March 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA5X68ZE605TVMHUWDSZLNBN631
- Story Text: First German player is arrested in German football
scandal.
A German soccer player was arrested on Friday
(March 11, 2005) in connection with a widening match-rigging
scandal and faces fraud and organised crime charges, Berlin
state prosecutors said.
Two referees have already been arrested in the worst
scandal to hit German soccer in more than 30 years. State
prosecutors said they had arrested the first player,
Steffen Karl, from third division side Chemnitz FC.
Prosecutors said Karl, 35, helped manipulate the
results of a May 22, 2004 match between SC Paderborn and
Chemnitz in which referee Robert Hoyzer has already
admitted he accepted bribes to rig the results of that as
well as other matches.
"In May 2004 he supposedly helped another accused
Robert Hoyzer manipulate a match between Chemnitz and
Paderborn. One supposedly agreed that the accused
deliberately committed fouls to give referee Hoyzer an
opportunity to make decisions accordingly," Berlin court
spokesmen Arnd Boedecker told journalists.
Paderborn won the match 4-0.
Karl, who previously played for first division sides
Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin, is also suspected of
offering Energie Cottbus goalkeeper Georg Koch 20,000 euros
to make deliberate mistakes in a second division match in
May 2004.
Koch said he rejected the offer but did not report the
incident until January after the scandal unfolded.
Prosecutors said Koch then got a threatening phone call from someone
sent by Karl. Prosecutors said Karl was arrested for that
reason.
Hoyzer, 25, is at the heart of the scandal that has
badly tarnished Germany, hosts of the 2006 World Cup
finals. He was arrested in February but released two weeks later.
A second referee, Dominik Marks, was arrested on
Wednesday at his apartment in Berlin on suspicion of fraud
and money-laundering. Prosecutors said Marks was involved in
rigging the results of three matches, but did not specify
which ones.
An investigating judge ruled that Marks, who has denied
any wrongdoing, should remain in custody on the the risk he
would abscond. She also ordered another suspect be held.
The latter, identified as Tomislav C aged 21, was
arrested on Wednesday and is accused of belonging to a
Berlin-based gambling gang and betting large amounts of money on four
matches under Hoyzer's control. He denies the charges.
Berlin prosecutors are investigating a total of 25
people suspected of having manipulated at least 10 matches
in 2004.
They include Hoyzer, Marks, two other referees and 14
players.
Hoyzer has admitted fixing matches for money from a
Croatian gambling gang based at a Berlin nightclub and is
cooperating with prosecutors. He has implicated other
referees and players.
Hoyzer faces eight charges of complicity to defraud. He
was released after agreeing to surrender his passport and
report to police three times a week. The DFB has
recommended Hoyzer be fined 50,000 euros and banned for
life.
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