The head of referees in Turkey has been placed in pretrial detention in an investigation into manipulation of the refereeing system

The President of Turkey’s Central Refereeing Committee, Ferhat Gundogdu, and four other people were placed in pretrial detention in an investigation into the alleged manipulation of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) refereeing system. The decision was made on Friday by a court in Istanbul and announced on Saturday by the Anadolu news agency.

Gundogdu and six other people were questioned in the case concerning the management of referees. Five of the defendants were placed in pretrial detention, while the other two were released under conditions. The investigation concerns allegations including the falsification of official documents, breach of trust, and the illegal acquisition of personal data.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said that prosecutors were examining possible interference in determining referee rankings, match appointments, assessments, nominations, and tests concerning knowledge of the regulations. During the searches, police also targeted the VAR room at the TFF headquarters in Istanbul.