All 10 men released after questioning in Garda match-fixing investigation

All 10 men arrested on Wednesday by police in the Republic of Ireland investigating alleged football match-fixing in the League of Ireland have been released without charge.

The final man in custody was released on Thursday afternoon, after four had been released in the morning.

Five were released without charge on Wednesday evening.

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

A Garda spokeswoman said a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, following the release of the nine men.

Several residential properties were searched in Wednesday’s planned Garda operation, which stemmed from an investigation carried out by detectives attached to the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Unit in 2019.

That investigation was prompted by reports of suspected match-fixing received from the Football Association of Ireland and Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).

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

Undertaken by the anti-bribery and corruption unit within the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, the operation was described as a “day of action” against match-fixing.

Local gardai from the Limerick and Cork city divisions were also involved in Wednesday’s activities.