LAST UPDATE | 17 Jan 2023

A MAN WHO was arrested earlier today in the south of the country by gardaí investigating alleged match-fixing in the League of Ireland has been released without charge.

The arrest was made as part of Operation Brookweed.

Operation Brookweed stems from an investigation opened at the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit in 2019 following reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Gardaí say the investigation is ongoing and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí are continuing to appeal to anyone who may have information in relation to match-fixing or sports corruption to report the matter to the Bribery and Corruption Confidential Reporting line on 1800 40 60 80, to the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or to their local Garda Station.

Speaking today, Detective Superintendent Catharina Gunne said: “Match-fixing and corruption is a threat to all sports at all levels and undermines public confidence in the fairness of sport.

“It can allow organised crime to infiltrate sport in order to use it to make illicit gains or launder proceeds of crime.”

She added that the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit will take “proactive action where necessary to disrupt such criminality”.

She also warned that match-fixers “prey on young and vulnerable players in order to corrupt them for their ends” and that a conviction for involvement in match-fixing “could result in a significant custodial sentence”.