Belarus wants former football keeper for match-fixing
Valery Shantalosau, the former goalkeeper for Belarus's national football squad and currently an assistant coach for the Russian FC Siberia, is wanted by the Belarusian law-enforcement agencies on suspecion of fixing the matches played by Belarus, Genadz Kazakevich, the chief of preliminary investigation at the Minsk City Police Department told Pressball sports newspaper. It was this newspaper that had launched its own investigation into the matter. The evidence gathered by journalists made it possible in June 2005 for the Office of Prosecutor General to open a criminal case associated with bribes and match-fixing by football officials.
Back in June 2005, no name of the suspect was revealed. Mr Kazakevich said that arrest warrant for Shantalosau had already been issued and that as soon as he was captured, the case would be immediately referred to court.
The newspaper's investigation was based on taped conversations that proved that in early fall of 2003, Valery Shantalosau came as a middleman to the Belarus's national team's training camp in Staiki near Minsk to hold secret negotiations about the fixing of Belarus's qualifiers for the European Championship.
Shantalosau would invite several key players of the squad, offering money for the needed result in the two upcoming qualifiers: Belarus vs Czech Republic on September 6 and Moldova vs Belarus on September 10, 2003.
Belarus lost 1:3 to Czech Republic and 1:2 to Moldova as planned.
A Russian journalist whose identity has not been revealed is also treated as a suspect in this case.
Back in June 2005, no name of the suspect was revealed. Mr Kazakevich said that arrest warrant for Shantalosau had already been issued and that as soon as he was captured, the case would be immediately referred to court.
The newspaper's investigation was based on taped conversations that proved that in early fall of 2003, Valery Shantalosau came as a middleman to the Belarus's national team's training camp in Staiki near Minsk to hold secret negotiations about the fixing of Belarus's qualifiers for the European Championship.
Shantalosau would invite several key players of the squad, offering money for the needed result in the two upcoming qualifiers: Belarus vs Czech Republic on September 6 and Moldova vs Belarus on September 10, 2003.
Belarus lost 1:3 to Czech Republic and 1:2 to Moldova as planned.
A Russian journalist whose identity has not been revealed is also treated as a suspect in this case.
