3 Match Fixing Suspects Arrested In Citizen TV Expose Released

A Russian national, a Ugandan and a Kenyan who were arrested at an apartment in Zimmerman, Nairobi in a suspected match-fixing incident have been released.

The trio; Russian national Akhiad Kubiev, Ugandan Bernard Nabende and Kenyan Martin Munga Mutua were set free on a bond of Ksh300,000 with two sureties of a similar amount.

The three suspects had denied the charges of cheating contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code when they appeared before Principal Magistrate Eric Mûtûnga at Makadara Law Courts on Monday, March 13.

From left: Akhiad Kubiev, Bernard Nabende and Martin Munga Mutua at the Makadara Law Courts on March 13, 2023. /DAILY NATION

"On diverse dates between February 3, 2023, and March 10, 2023, in Roysambu area within Kasarani sub-county of Nairobi county, jointly with others not before court conspired to commit a felony namely cheating, an act which is considered a match-fixing in a football game in any part of the world," read the charges in part.

The trio were arrested on Friday, March 10 following a 10-hour undercover operation by several media houses including Citizen TV, the Kenya Police and footballers attached to Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side City Stars.

Reports had indicated that the trio allegedly tried to pay off players from Nairobi City Stars as well as the management Ksh1.8 million in exchange for losing to Sofapaka during an FKF PL match at Ruaraka Grounds.

The operation began after a phone call to Nairobi City Stars CEO Patrick Korir whereby a whistleblower had alerted him of the suspects' demands.

"For this deal to go through, he wanted seven players and he was very specific. He wanted the goalkeeper, three defenders, two midfielders and a striker," Korir stated. 

Following the four-hour communication between Korir and the suspected match-fixers, the CEO alerted the police and in a bid to lay a trap for the suspects, also involved the Citizen TV crew led by sports anchor Mike Okinyi.  

The team manager was wired as he alongside the players arrived at the apartment for purposes of the media gaining audio and video coverage. 

The suspects had only instructed the players to concede goals during the first ten and final fifteen minutes of the game, promising them Ksh1.8 million for every instruction that followed. As part of the deal, the players were to receive Ksh30,000 each through mobile money transactions as transport to the match venue. 

The suspects then told the players that they would be undercover inside the stadium to give the signals during the game. It was after this point that police pounced on them during their raid at the apartment.

The players and team manager were also taken into Kasarani police station but were released later for assisting the detectives to nab the trio. Korir later expressed that exposing such deals would go a long way in curbing the vice in the local football leagues.

"The three ways we can kill the vice is record, name, and shame and then legislate," Korir stated.