Indictment prepared against 34 people in 'Football Match-Fixing and Betting' investigation

An indictment has been filed against the suspects who were apprehended and arrested during operations conducted as part of the investigations known as 'Football Betting and Match-Fixing' by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The separate indictments prepared for the suspects have been sent to the relevant courts for review. Meanwhile, it has been learned that the individuals named in the indictment include Galatasaray player Metehan Baltacı, Fenerbahçe player Mert Hakan Yandaş, referees Erkan Arslan, Nevzat Okat, Yakup Yapıcı, Ahmet Kıvanç Kader, Nurullah Bayram, and Baran Karaman, as well as Kerem Yusuf Sirkeci from Fatih Karagümrük, Emircan Çiçek from Pendikspor, Bartu Kaya from Amedspor, İzzet Furkan Malak from Göztepespor, Yunus Emre Tekoğul from Sakaryaspor, Faruk Can Genç from Vanspor, Kadir Kaan Yurdakul from Manisaspor, Orkun Özdemir from Boluspor, Alassane Ndao from Konyaspor, Abdurrahman Bayram from Sakaryaspor, Bahattin Berke Demircan from Beyoğlu Yeni Çarşıspor, Doğukan Çınar from Tirespor, Eyüp Can Temiz from Niğde Belediyespor, and other players Furkan Demir, Gökhan Payal, İbrahim Yılmaz, Mustafa Çeçenoğlu, Ergün Nazlı, Hamit Bayraktar, Hüseyin Aybars Tüfekci, İlke Tankul, Mert Aktaş, İsmail Karakaş, Tufan Kelleci, TFF official Buğra Cem İmamoğlulları, and Fenerbahçe Congress Member Ersen Dikmen.

The indictment prepared against Mert Hakan Yandaş states that his membership records were detected on the electronic-based betting sites Misli and Nesine. The indictment also notes that it was determined Yandaş had been placing betting coupons through Ersen Dikmen since 2019. It was stated that there was intense communication and money transfers between Mert Hakan Yandaş and Ersen Dikmen; according to MASAK report findings, Yandaş transferred money to Dikmen when he wanted to place a betting coupon, and Dikmen transferred the funds received into his account to electronic-based betting sites within a very short time. The indictment further records that examinations of digital materials seized under judicial search and seizure warrants revealed receipts and images related to the transferred funds, as well as communications confirming that they placed betting coupons. These communications included instances where suspect Ersen placed coupons on behalf of suspect Mert Hakan, as well as discussions regarding joint coupons. The indictment states that it is understood the suspects acted in concert and planned and executed the alleged crimes together. An indictment was filed against Yandaş and Dikmen for 'qualified fraud' and 'match-fixing and incentive bonuses,' requesting prison sentences ranging from 4 years, 10 months, and 15 days to 17 years, 10 months, and 15 days.

The indictment prepared against Metehan Baltacı states that he had a membership on the gambling site Nesine and that he placed a bet on the Galatasaray-Rizespor men's football match organized by the TFF on March 19, 2021, for a total of over 2.5 goals. The indictment explains that while the suspect was not in the 18-man squad for the matches during the period he placed bets, it was understood that he lost the coupons because they included bets on different matches or sports branches other than his own. It was also noted in the indictment that the suspect placed a bet on the Göztepe-Galatasaray men's football match on April 17, 2021, for a total of over 2.5 goals, and that he was not in the 18-man squad at that time, but lost the coupon due to the inclusion of other matches or sports. The indictment also includes findings of a 2021 WhatsApp message containing a betting coupon image believed to be from the illegal betting site Vevobahis, and 2024 conversation logs where he suggested a coupon to an individual named Ufuk while he was an Eyüpspor player, along with messages regarding placing bets. A prison sentence of 4 years, 1 month, and 15 days to 10 years, 4 months, and 15 days was requested for Baltacı for the crimes of 'attempted qualified fraud' and 'match-fixing and incentive bonuses'.

Prison sentences at varying rates were also requested for the other suspects in the indictment. With the acceptance of the prepared indictments by the relevant courts, the trials of the suspects will begin in the coming days.

In a statement regarding the matter, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said, "The meticulous work in line with the determined fight against match-fixing allegations in Turkish football and the crime of illegal betting, which is a bleeding wound for society, will continue uninterruptedly with operations planned for the future."