Man arrested after trying to bribe League of Ireland footballer to get red card in game – The Irish Times

Gardaí are investigating an alleged attempt to bribe a League of Ireland player to be sent off as part of an attempted betting fix and have arrested a man for questioning.

The suspect was arrested in Galway, although evidence in the case was discovered at a property in Dublin earlier this year.

The incident was brought to the attention of the Garda after the player, who was approached for a deliberate sending off in a match, used an anti-corruption reporting mechanism in Irish football.

The player in question was offered tens of thousands of euros, more than €30,000, if he agreed to intentionally receive a red card in an early season game this year. Gardaí believe that had he agreed, large bets would have been placed on his sending off in that game.

However, when the player was asked to sign a jersey on the street in February and the offer was quickly made to him, he immediately returned the jersey, walked away and reported the matter.

The report was passed on to the Garda and a criminal investigation was immediately launched. News of the investigation first became public shortly after the investigation began and a suspect was identified.

Investigators from the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit, part of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, carried out searches in Dublin in February and seized evidence including mobile phones. The devices have since been analyzed, leading to the suspect’s arrest in the west of Ireland this week.

Gardaí confirmed that the suspect, a man in his 30s, was arrested for questioning on Monday “as part of an ongoing investigation into the attempted bribery of a professional League of Ireland football player during the current season”.

He was held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 and the results of the investigation so far were presented to him before he was released without charge.

The evidence collected over the past seven months, along with the man’s responses during Garda interviews, will be placed in a criminal file and forwarded to the DPP for a decision on whether to press criminal charges.

“The Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit remains committed to protecting the integrity of sport in Ireland and continues to work closely with all relevant stakeholders,” a Garda statement said.

It added: “Anyone who has information about match-fixing or sports corruption” can report it via the confidential Bribery and Corruption Reporting Line on 1800 40 60 80.

Garda sources said the player, who was approached on the street and given a bribe, had behaved in an exemplary manner.

He was praised for his actions by the Irish Football Association as well as the Irish Professional Football Association and FIFA when news of the incident first emerged in the media in late February and early March.