KTFF probe over corruption claims
THE government has launched a probe into historical claims that officials from the Cyprus Turkish Football Association (KTFF) handed over two cheques with forged signatures to a private firm.
Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman announced the move as part of an “anti-corruption” drive by the four-party coalition.
He revealed at a press conference that the government had passed a file relating to alleged accounting irregularities at the KTFF to the Attorney-General’s Office for further investigation.
The claims relate to two payments, understood to be for 7,900TL each, made to a finance company between June 1 and October 21, 2010, during the tenure of former KTFF head Ömer Adal.
Hasan Sertoğlu, the current football chief, reported the payments to the police shortly after taking the helm in November 2010, although an investigation at the time was never completed, Cyprus Today’s sister newspaper Kıbrıs said.
The company in question was paid the cheques following a court decision, the paper added. Meanwhile 10 top-flight football teams have called on Mr Sertoğlu to resign over “endless refereeing mistakes”.
The teams — excluding current champions and K-Pet Super League leaders Yenicami — issued a joint press statement on Sunday slamming what they described as a “plot” against them.
They said “ulterior motives” were behind “one-sided” refereeing decisions designed to “make one team become champions”.
“[KTFF] officials do not act fairly when appointing referees and imposing penalties on the clubs,” the statement continued.
“In addition, referees are never punished while clubs and players are.”
The teams said they were not “extras” and could “no longer remain as spectators” to the situation.
“Unfortunately, what is so painful is that . . . Mr Sertoğlu is a spectator,” the statement added.
“We demand that he intervene . . . to prevent further damage to our football. If he cannot do so, then he should resign immediately.”
On Monday, however, chairmen of six of the 10 teams — Merit Alsancak Yeşilova, Türk Ocağı Limasol, Yalova, Gençlik Gücü, Yeni Boğaziçi and Ozanköy — appeared to backtrack from the statement.
They said that while they stood by the criticisms of referees, they had not intended to target Yenicami and did not stand by calls for Mr Sertoğlu to quit.