Turkish referee boss Gündoğdu jailed after corruption investigation

The Turkish chairman of the referee commission, Ferhat Gündoğdu, has been taken into custody by a court as part of a corruption investigation.

Gündoğdu and six other people were brought before a judge on suspicion of manipulation, the state news agency Anadolu reported. The court ordered pre-trial detention for five of them and granted the other two conditional release, it said.

Gündoğdu is the chairman of the Turkish Football Association's central referee committee MHK. He and the other people were taken into custody on Tuesday during raids in Istanbul, Ankara and two other cities.

In addition to Gündoğdu, two top referees are also said to be among the suspects. The Illegal Betting and Sports Crime Department of the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible for the investigation. It's about "allegations of interference in the creation of the referee rankings, in the assignments, the evaluation and appointment procedures as well as the rule checks," wrote Justice Minister Akin Gürlek on X.

The Justice Minister said judicial searches were carried out in the suspects' homes, workplaces and offices. He wants to work for “clean football” so that trust in Turkish football can return. The MHK is the body of the Turkish Football Association that grades, appoints referees for league games and evaluates their performance.