Football: Fenerbahce president found guilty

ISTANBUL: An Istanbul court sentenced the president of top side Fenerbahce, Aziz Yildirim, to six years and three months in prison in its final verdict on a match-fixing scandal that has rocked Turkish football. The court also fined Yildirim $725,000 for establishing a criminal organisation and rigging games. In view of their detention times, the court released all of the four arrested suspects, including Yildirim. A total of 93 people were charged in the trial that began in February. The decision will be forwarded to a higher court for approval, and if upheld, Yildirim is likely to be put behind bars again. He was held in custody for a year after the scandal erupted last summer. But the legal process is expected to drag for another year before any final decision is reached.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2012.