Race fixing furore

Corruption charges laid

Four people have been charged over alleged race fixing at a harness meeting in Cobram in 2015.

Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit and Shepparton detectives last Wednesday charged four people over the incident, which allegedly occurred at a meeting in Cobram on June 22, 2015.

Nathan Jack, Amanda Turnbull, Mark Pitt and Lisa Bartley face charges of engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome and other related offences.

They were first arrested in August after an investigation into the tactics adopted during the betting and running of the meeting’s fourth race, won by Airbournemagic, but at the time they were released without charge.

They appealed a three-month license suspension, with the Harness Racing Victoria Racing Appeals and Disciplinary board lifting all restrictions on the quartet in September.

Cobram Harness Racing Club president Charles Ewert declined to comment on the incident as it was a police investigation.

A Harness Racing Victoria statement issued on Wednesday said stewards would decide if any or all of the four would be banned from competing in races or have their licences cancelled. They have until 5 pm tomorrow to make a submission to the stewards regarding their case.

‘‘The HRV stewards acknowledge any such actions are serious measures and thus all available information needs to be considered,’’ the HRV statement read. ‘‘The HRV stewards are mindful of the decision of the HRV RAD board chairman on September 14, 2016, after HRV stewards initially suspended the licences of participants after they had been arrested by Victoria Police on August 28, 2016.’’

They have all been summoned to appear at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on February 20.

Anyone wishing to report corruption in the racing industry or other sports are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au