Referees Yasin Kol and Göktuğ Hazar Erel arrested in investigation

Süper Lig referee Yasin Kol and Süper Lig assistant referee Göktuğ Hazar Erel, who were detained as part of the Central Referee Board (MHK) investigation, have been arrested by the Criminal Court of Peace to which they were referred.

As part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the MHK President and other suspects, Süper Lig referee Yasin Kol and Süper Lig assistant referee Göktuğ Hazar Erel, who were detained following the examination of digital materials and detailed analysis of Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) records, had provided statements to the prosecutor's office.

The suspects were referred to the Criminal Court of Peace with a request for their arrest. Yasin Kol was referred to the court with a request for his arrest on charges of match-fixing and incentive payments under Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports.

Göktuğ Hazar Erel was referred to the Criminal Court of Peace with a request for his arrest on charges of forgery of official documents. Yasin Kol and Göktuğ Hazar Erel were arrested by the Criminal Court of Peace to which they were referred.

In the Yasin Kol file, 41 IBANs and a traffic of 49.5 million TL with third parties were identified; in the expert report regarding the bank transactions of top-class referee Yasin Kol, who was detained as part of the MHK investigation, 50 accounts and 41 different IBANs were detected across 11 banks.

When transactions between his own accounts were excluded, it was determined that Kol had received 25.3 million TL from 187 people and sent 24.1 million TL to 407 people.

Content of the investigation

Within the scope of the "Referees file" investigation, which is being carried out by the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Bureau under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau, it was determined that there were allegations against some suspects regarding the crimes of "torment" and "forgery of official documents."

As a result of open-source research, MASAK and HTS studies, complainant and witness statements, and expert findings within the scope of the file, it was assessed that MHK President Ferhat Gündoğdu and some referees and observers who are members of the MHK could be linked to the crime.

Following this, in an operation carried out at addresses identified in Istanbul, Ankara, Elazığ, and Manisa, Ferhat Gündoğdu, TFF Active Referees Association President Ferdi Karadoruk, former TFF Central Referee Board Deputy President Ahmet Şahin, former TFF Central Referee Board Member Yunus Yıldırım, TFF Education and 4th Region Supervisor Sebahattin Şahin, TFF Referees and Observers Association Istanbul Branch Organization Supervisor Alican Sağlar, and TFF Referees and Observers Association Istanbul Provincial Referee Board President Emre Kosif were detained.

Within the scope of the investigation, Süper Lig referee Yasin Kol and Süper Lig assistant referee Göktuğ Hazar Erel were also detained by teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Bureau.

News Source: 12punto