Turkey’s football referee chief detained pending trial for graft
Ferhat Gundogdu and six other referee officials appear in court over suspected manipulation of the referee administration process.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) is reforming its refereeing oversight body following the arrest of its chief, Ferhat Gundogdu, on charges of corruption. Gundogdu, who oversees the Central Referees Committee (MHK), was among seven officials detained on suspicion of manipulating the referee administration process.
The judge ordered Gundogdu and four others into pre-trial detention, while two others were released under conditions. The TFF, in a statement on their website, announced the formation of a new Central Referees Committee to address the scandal.
The seven accused face charges including document forgery, breach of trust, and illegal acquisition of personal data. This latest development follows a similar case a year ago, when 149 referees were suspended for illegal betting.
Further investigation by police, including a raid on the referees' Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, is believed to be linked to the betting scandal. Sports journalist Ayhan Sensoy suggests this is part of a continuing investigation that could have significant implications for the TFF.
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