A judicial investigation has spread to top-tier football referees, leading to the detention of Central Referee Committee (MHK) Chair Ferhat Gündoğdu and six other officials.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the probe following complaints alleging official document forgery and systemic 'torment' or mobbing against match officials. Simultaneous police raids across four provinces resulted in the detentions, with financial intelligence (MASAK) and phone records (HTS) integrated into the case file.
Former Süper Lig referee Deniz Ateş Bitnel, who provided witness testimony to financial crime investigators, revealed that active Süper Lig referees and FIFA observers have been drawn into the investigation.
'I believe this issue will evolve into something far beyond mobbing done to referees,' Bitnel said, hinting at broader match-fixing and illegal betting allegations.
The investigation has also reached the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) Video Assistant Referee (VAR) center. Financial crime units inspected the national VAR room at the TFF headquarters, examining digital logs and communication records.
The TFF denied social media reports claiming staff attempted to erase digital evidence before police arrived, calling the allegations 'completely unfounded.'
The scandal coincides with separate disciplinary action by the TFF, which referred 448 club executives to the disciplinary board over illegal betting. Bitnel questioned the timing, alleging the federation held the list for a year before releasing it amid the referee arrests.
Suspects, including Gündoğdu, are expected to be transferred to the courthouse on Oct. 2.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office expanded the probe directly into active top-tier match officials, detaining Süper Lig referee Yasin Kol and assistant referee Göktuğ Hazar Erel following a friendly match between Trabzonspor and Drogheda United in Trabzon.
Prosecutors confirmed that digital evidence seized from detained officials and detailed MASAK financial analyses led to the pair's arrest, charging them with violating the law on illegal sports betting, aiding in the forgery of official documents, and abuse of office.
