In Georgia, five footballers detained on suspicion of game rigging

A corruption network has been revealed within the national football championship; several persons were detained. According to investigators, players agreed beforehand on the course and results of football matches with organizers of illegal totes, as reported at a news briefing by Soso Topuridze, Deputy Head of the Department of Constitutional Security of the MIA of Georgia.

"The detainees are Spartak Gogiya, captain of FC 'Samtredia', and Kakhaber Kirtadze, a footballer of the same club; Roin Oniani, captain of the club 'Baya' from Zugdidi, Levan Vartagava, a footballer of the same club; and Giga Bechvaya, a player of the Tbilisi FC 'Vit-Georgia'. According to investigators, they made agreements with David Gabedava, who represented sweepstakes," said Topuridze.

According to his story, so far, the above Department has identified three "sold" games. The agreements included almost completely the course of the matches - behaviour of players in the pitch, course of matches and the score, the IA "News-Georgia" reports.

In particular, the outcome of the game "Samtredia"-"Sioni" from Bolnisi was sold for 15,000 laris (one lari is about 0.65 US dollar), "Dynamo" Tbilisi-'Baya" Zugdidi - for 12,000 laris, and "Vit-Georgia"-"Sioni" - for 20,000 laris.

So far, the position of the detainees and their advocates is still unknown.

Let us remind you in July last year the famous Georgian footballer Georgi Demetradze was detained on charges of links with the "thieves' world". Along with him, citizens of Georgia David Gagnidze Kakhu Misireli were detained. They stated at the police that they took part in scams with bets at totes during the Football World Cup and kept in touch with the crime boss Vato Kipiani who was in Ukraine. On charges of tote frauds Demetradze was sentenced to six years in prison.