Premier League match-fixing suspects released on bail

FOOTBALL Premier League match-fixing suspects released on bail

Kiplagat Sang • 15:00 - 13.03.2023

They appeared before the Makadara Law Courts on Monday.

Three suspects who were sensationally arrested on allegations of planning to fix a Football Kenya Federation Premier League match have been released on bail.

The three suspects; Akhiad Kubiev, a Russian, Bernard Nabende, a Ugandan, and Martin Munga Mutua, a Kenyan, have been released on a Ksh300,000 bond.

Having been charged with cheating contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code, the three denied the charges and were released by Principal Magistrate Eric Mutunga at Makadara Law Courts on Monday.

The charge sheet read, "On diverse dates between February 3, 2023, and March 10, 2023, in Roysambu area within Kasarani sub-county of Nairobi county, jointly and with others not before court conspired to commit a felony, namely cheating, an act which is considered a match-fixing in a football game in any part of the world."

"Akhiad Kubiev, Bernard Nabende, and Martin Munga Mutua on the 10th day of March 2023 at Roysambu area, by fraudulent trick, you jointly conspired with others not before the court by inducing Samson Otieno Aloo, the team manager of City Stars, to deliver football match-fixing of the City Stars versus Sofapaka game which would be played at Ruaraka on 11 March 2023, by promising to pay him 14,000 USD at the end of the match, an act which would influence the result of the game."

The three were arrested on allegations that they were planning to influence the outcome of the Premier League match between Nairobi City Stars and Sofapaka on Saturday at Kasarani.

City Stars, whose players had been approached to commit the vice, have absolved the footballers.

"None of the players, team official, or the ambassador were up to any wrongdoing. They were only presented for the meeting, which eventually led to the arrests of the culprits.

"Nairobi City Stars remain fully committed to fighting match-fixing. We commit to never be a bystander, and we hope that others will contribute to have the courage to call out such behavior moving forward."