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Nine men released over lack of evidence in match-fixing case
In an unexpected plot twist, the police had to release all nine men who had been arrested for their alleged roles in fixing a soccer match between Kalteng Putra and Persela Lamongan due to a lack of evidence.
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Central Kalimantan police spokesman Sr. Comr. Hendra Rochmawan. (Banjarmasin Post/Faturahman)
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aving arrested nine people in Palangkaraya on match-fixing charges, the police’s anti-match-fixing squad have had to release them all as the squad found no evidence implicating them in the crime.
“We are still looking for more information. But we have let them go free as the confiscated evidence fails to connect them with the crime,” Central Kalimantan Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Hendra Rochmawan said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Save Our Soccer coordinator Akmal Marhali said the plot twist was totally unexpected, putting the squad’s findings on the line. He questioned the police’s investigation strategies that didn’t warn them about such possibilities.
“The police were very reckless in deciding to make the arrests and collecting evidence. Don’t blame anyone for any speculation that might occur following the release,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
He said the police needed to come clean and explain everything to the public, including their misjudgment in the case.
The squad's spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono had previously said the police had arrested nine people allegedly linked to fixing a soccer match between Kalteng Putra and Persela Lamongan in Palangkaraya on Sunday. Kalteng Putra won the match 2-0.
Argo said among the nine people were the referee, assistant referee and a field instructor.
