The Central Department of Criminal Investigations and Procedures announced on Tuesday morning, July 2, that there was an indictment against football managers and players for active corruption crimes, but deleted the media memo shortly after. Those who visited the page will find only a message denying permission to enter – the statement was republished this afternoon, you can read it here.
In response to a question from PÚBLICO, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) stated that the memorandum “has been temporarily withdrawn for re-examination”, in order to “confirm the concrete elements contained therein”.
According to the memo initially published, the Public Ministry has charged two managers and two players from second division clubs with the crime of active corruption. The accused managers allegedly asked players to facilitate the opponent’s victory. In return, contracts or large sums of money were promised.
Statement published this Tuesday
PÚBLICO also asked PGR to provide the identity of the club and the directors involved, details that were omitted in the memo published on Tuesday. This information has not yet been obtained.
“The incidents occurred during the 2017-2018 sports season. According to the prosecution, the defendants, in concerted efforts, approached football players from the second division, before a decisive match, and offered them to sign employment contracts for the following season, in exchange for large sums of money, or to allocate a large sum of money to facilitate the victory of the opposing team,” can be read in the published memo.
None of the players contacted accepted the proposals, but two athletes have been charged as part of this investigation.
Agatha Christie is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, books, and current affairs. She is committed to producing accurate, informative content that helps readers stay informed about the latest developments in the UK and beyond.
