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ACB to intervene in football corruption

 

Super League of Malawi (Sulom) will involve the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in investigating local football referees following unverified reports that some match officials are involved in match-fixing.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda yesterday confirmed that they would like to work with the anti-graft body to ensure all suspicious corners of secrecy between referees and clubs are thoroughly investigated.

The development comes at a time when Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has slapped five referees with various punishments due to, among other things, spoiling games with some serious errors that included denying ‘clear’ penalties and awarding dubious goals.

Banda said they have noted that poor or suspicious refereeing mostly happens towards the end of the season when the battle for the title has reached the climax.

“We will ask the ACB to help us investigate this issue because there is a lot of secrecy involved in corruption,” Banda said.

Banda: We will seek ACB help
Banda: We will seek ACB help

“There is no direct exchange of information when [dubious] transactions are being done and it would be very tricky for us alone to institute  investigations. We, therefore, feel it will be easier for ACB to do this as they know how to investigate corruption,” Banda said.

National Football Referees Association (NFRA) general secretary Chris Kalichero welcomed the development, saying there is a need for sanity in domestic football.

He said they cannot rule out the possibility of their members being involved in such malpractices.

“Sometimes when the league is at its climax, it might be tempting for referees to accept bribes from clubs, who can do anything in the quest for good results. The ACB’s involvement will be a welcome development as it will help us know what is happening underground and who are doing it,” Kalichero said.

Nyasa Big Bullets general secretary Kelvin Moyo and his Silver Strikers counterpart Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, whose sides are among serious contenders of the league title, described Sulom’s step as a commendable initiative.

“We are 100 percent in favour of this initiative. However, we plead with Sulom to as well do their part by creating a conducive environment that can leave no room for temptations. For example, teams should be at par in terms of games played; differences on fixtures sometimes create room for tricks,” Moyo said.

On his part, Chakaka Nyirenda said: “This is a very commendable development because we have always been suspicious with the way some referees have been handling our games.”

ACB spokesperson Egritta Ndala said yesterday they are ready to work with Sulom in the fight against corruption as bribes in football are a breeding ground for other problems such as violence and vandalism.

“Sulom is free to come to us with their issues for investigation. We are an institution for all Malawians and we will work with them. In addition, we cannot only help them in investigation, but also assist with bribe preventing measures.” Ndala said. n

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