No charges for men held in league match-fixing swoop

ALL the men arrested on Wednesday by detectives investigating alleged football match-fixing in the League of Ireland (LOI) have now been released without charge.

A total of ten men were arrested as part of the investigation.

Five were released without charge on Wednesday evening, with another four released without charge yesterday morning.

Yesterday afternoon, gardaí confirmed the remaining man had also been released without charge.

A Garda spokeswoman said a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

All the men had been detained on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law.

Several residences were searched in Wednesday’s operation, due to an investigation by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit in 2019.

Operation Brookweed focused on the Dublin metropolitan area and the Garda’s southern region, comprising Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

The operation was described as a ‘day of action’ against match-fixing.

Gardaí from the Limerick and Cork city divisions were also involved.