19 May 2022

Final man released after questioning in Garda match-fixing investigation

19 May 2022

All the men arrested on Wednesday by detectives investigating alleged football match-fixing in the League of Ireland have now been released without charge.

A total of 10 men were arrested as part of the investigation.

Five were released without charge on Wednesday evening, with another four men released without charge on Thursday morning.

On Thursday afternoon, gardai confirmed the remaining man had also been released without charge.

A Garda spokeswoman said a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

All the men had been detained on suspicion of the offence of conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law.

Several residential properties were searched in Wednesday’s Garda operation, which stemmed from an investigation carried out by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit in 2019.

That investigation was prompted by reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland and Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).

Operation Brookweed focused on the Dublin metropolitan area and the Garda’s southern region, which comprises Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

Undertaken by the anti-bribery and corruption unit within the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, the operation was described as a “day of action” against match-fixing.

Local gardai from the Limerick and Cork city divisions were also involved in Wednesday’s activities.

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