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Another referee suspect in betting
scandal
March 26, 2005
USA Today: Another referee is suspected of being involved in Germany's
match-fixing scandal, the investigating body said Saturday.
Felix Zwayer, a witness in the case, is accused of holding back
information and failing to tell investigators he was sought out by a
fellow referee to help influence a match.
"I'm not quite certain if money didn't flow in the direction of Zwayer,
too," said Horst Hilpert, chairman of the sports court committee looking
into fixed matches.
The 23-year-old Zwayer told investigators he didn't regard a
conversation with Dominick Marks — accused of accepting a $40,000 bribe
— as an attempt to draw him into the betting scam.
In addition to the sports court's activities, Berlin prosecutors are
investigating 25 people in the case, in which three Croatian brothers
are accused of bribing referees and players to manipulate matches for
betting profits.
Four referees and 14 players are suspected of rigging at least 10
matches, mostly in Germany's lower divisions. News of the scandal
emerged in January when four referees informed soccer officials of their
suspicions about one of their colleagues, Robert Hoyzer.
Hoyzer has admitted accepting bribes and successfully manipulating
matches, and has since resigned.
Zwayer's lawyer denied any wrongdoing by his client and accused the
German Soccer Federation and its sport court of damaging the
investigation by scaring witnesses.
"If there are any more possible witnesses, they'll think twice
considering how my client is being handled — this can't be helpful to
clearing up the scandal," Uwe Freyschmidt told the Berlin daily
Tagesspiegel.
Zwayer was the sideline assistant of Marks during the game in which the
referee reportedly took the bribe.
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