Sunday 8 December 2013

TOO BAD! Nigerian defender Sam Sodje filmed 'Boasting He fix matches for betting fraudsters'

 An ex-Premier League footballer faces arrest after he was filmed bragging that he can arrange for professional footballers to get yellow cards or even sent off in return for cash.
Sam Sodje, who played for Portsmouth and also in the top flight at Reading, says he can guarantee certain events in play in return for money.
In the video, 34-year-old Nigerian defender Sodje brags that he can arrange for a player to get themselves booked for a £30,000 pay-out.
Fraudsters can capitalise on this through in-game betting, where they put large bets on incidents like red and yellow cards, penalties and even corner kicks.
In the video recorded by an undercover reporter from the Sun on Sunday, Sodje claims he fixed it for an ex-Premier League player, who now plays in the Championship, to get a yellow card and can even organise similar such events in Premier League games - for a much greater price because of the huge fines for players at that level.
He even boasted he can get arrange for African players to influence what happens in World Cup games, claiming some players could be easily tempted to fix because they do not get paid as much to represent their national teams.
He added that it was child's play for a player to get a yellow card, as they are so common no one suspects anything is amiss and the player can continue playing afterwards.
He said: 'This guy came to meet me at my house and it was sorted. That's how easy it is - it's nothing.'
Now police are investigating after the Sun on Sunday handed over information on Sodje, gathered over a period of four months by an undercover reporter posing as a middleman for a betting syndicate based in the Far East.
Sodje and his brother Stephen claim they can even get players sent off - an event which can cripple a team's chances in a game - for between £50,000 and £70,000.
He even said he could set up a bet an entire week before a game, while his warned the reporter not to pay one player rumoured to be involved in fixing matches because the sportsman was already under scrutiny.
Sodje spoke of a meeting a Premiership player in a Manchester hotel room, as well as at the home of another to discuss a potential fix.
The footage also shows him admitting punching an opponent in the groin to get sent off for a £70,000 pay-out.
While playing for Portsmouth, Sodje punched Oldham Athletic's Jose Baxter twice in the game, which took place in February.
Sodje also boasted that having pocketed £70,000 from the gambling ring, even after his £10,000 fine he was still £60,000 better off.
He said: 'Do you know how much I got fined? I got fined ten grand and I missed six games.'
He said he had to launch the bizarre attack, which his then-manager at Portsmouth, Guy Whittingham, described as 'inexcusable', as the referee had not been booking him for tacking.
Spotting his chance after a tackle by Baxter, Sodje ran up to his opponent and punched him in the crotch - to the shock of spectators.
The reporters also claim to have met with Cristian Montano, who was alledgedly supposed to get booked in a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first half - but failed.
 



The 21-year-old Colombian reportedly claims he was  'hacking' opposition players and even swore at the ref but did not get carded, offering to fix another game to make amends.
Sodje had called former Notts County teammate Montano to a hotel to explain himself.
The fixer showed the reporter text messages from Montano explaining that he had dived for penalties and pulled other players' shirts, only to receive just one booking - for a clean tackle.
Sodje also claimed that another of his brother's Akpo, 33, who plays for Tranmere Rovers in League One, would get booked in each of his next six games in exchange for cash.
He said that the brothers were trying to prepare for a life after football.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed it was investigating the claims.
In a statement the agency said: 'The NCA can confirm that the Sun on Sunday has passed material from its own investigation to the National Crime Agency.

'An active NCA investigation is now under way and we are working closely with the Football Association and the Gambling Commission. We cannot comment further at this stage.'
The news comes as two Conference South (the sixth tier of the English league) footballers were charged in connection with match-fixing allegations and sacked by their club, following a separate investigation by the NCA.
Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, both 22, were charged this week with conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law.
The NCA said the Crown Prosecution Service's organised crime division was satisfied that it was in the public interest to authorise the charges.
Boateng and Adelakun's club, Whitehawk FC in Brighton, said the pair have now been 'dismissed with immediate effect' following an emergency board meeting.
It is thought that illegal betting syndicates are worth £320billion worldwide, with the practice on the rise because of the growing popularity of gambling during games, and the ease of in-play betting.
A large proportion of the money is generated in Asia, where gambling is largely unregulated, as opposed to Europe.
Speaking about the latest reports, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said: 'We treat any allegations of criminal activity in our competitions with the utmost seriousness.
'Given that there is an ongoing police investigation into this matter, we cannot comment further at this time. Although, we would encourage anyone with any evidence to report it to the police.
'We will be giving our full assistance to the police during their investigation.'
A spokesman from the Football Association said: 'The FA is aware of the National Crime Agency investigation and is working closely with the NCA and other authorities. We will make no further comment at this time.'
A Gambling Commission spokesman said: 'The Gambling Commission has responded quickly in supporting this ongoing National Crime Agency investigation and continues to liaise with both the NCA and the Football Association.'

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