Beşiktaş lawyer says Fenerbahçe chairman should also be released

Ali Rıza Dizdar, the lawyer representing Beşiktaş Deputy Chairman Serdar Adalı, Beşiktaş protocol and security chief Ahmet Ateş and Beşiktaş coach Tayfur Havutçu, said on Monday that he thinks Yıldırım and other suspects should also be released pending trial when evidence suggested by the prosecutor overseeing the case is taken into consideration. “But, the decision lies with the judges,” he added.

Adalı, Havutçu and Ateş were released on Monday along with five other suspects after requests filed by their lawyers for their release were accepted by the İstanbul 16th High Criminal Court.  As of the time the eight suspects were released, there were 23 jailed suspects out of a total of 93 suspects in the investigation and 14 players stand accused of alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal.

Yıldırım is the highest profile figure still under arrest as part of the probe. Yıldırım, jailed pending trial since police raids as part of the investigation first began in July, faces up to 147 years in jail for leading an criminal gang and other charges ranging from match-fixing to the payment of bribes.