Police in Nairobi are holding three match-fixing suspects.
They are Russian Akhiad Kubiev, Ugandan Bernard Navendi, and Kenyan Martin Munga Mutua, police said.
The three were arrested on Friday at about 10 pm in Zimmerman after being set up by former footballer Festo Omukoto, and seven Nairobi City Stars players whom they had approached, to help fix Football Kenya Federation (FKF) match against Sofapaka on Saturday at Ruaraka Grounds in Nairobi, officials aware said.
The suspects were detained at Kasarani police station, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei confirmed.
Bungei said experts are investigating the matter and action will be taken on them at an appropriate time.
The players were to pocket a sum of Sh1.8 million ($14,000) if the deal went through. As part of the ploy, they were to first receive Sh30, 000 each through Mpesa as transport to the match venue.
The suspects allegedly tried to bribe the police with Sh1 million.
They also admitted to having infiltrated several local clubs.
Saturday, FKF’s Barry Otieno thanked the police and other stakeholders for the arrest and detention of three individuals, among them a Kenyan and two foreigners involved in the incident.
“FKF continues to work closely with all involved, including local and international security services, to not only assist in the prosecution of the said individuals but also in an effort aimed at safeguarding the integrity of Kenyan football,” FKF said in a statement.
It reassured all football stakeholders and the general public of its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of all its leagues and competitions and has established with the assistance of Fifa and local clubs an elaborate system to assist in detecting, preventing, and reporting match manipulation activities.
Officials said mattresses were found in the room where they were busted by the law enforcers after being tipped by City Stars Chief Executive Officer Patrick Korir.
The players were released at midnight Saturday after recording their statement, alongside Korir and the club’s coordinator Samson Otieno.
Omukoto, who in 2020 was among the four local players banned by Fifa from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of four years after they were found guilty of match-fixing, said the suspects, have for the last month been asking him to connect them with City Stars players, who they can recruit into the vice.
Festus Okiring and Moses Chikati are the other players who were banned for four years while Ugandan George Mandela was banned for life.
In the City Stars vs Sofapaka match, the directive by the suspects was that the Simba wa Nairobi concede a goal in the opening 10 minutes and go for the breather trailing 1-0, the statements recorded say.
Between the 70th and 78th minute, the suspects were to make another live bet that City Stars was going to concede two more goals in the last 10 minutes of the clash.
In case City Stars scored a goal, Sofapaka was required to add another.
