NAIROBI – Police in Kenya has confirmed the arrest of Ugandan football agent Ronald Mugisha also known as Ronnie Santos Mwiine for alleged match-fixing.
Santos is currently in Police custody in Kenya as investigations into the matter get underway.
He was arrested from a hotel in Kisumu where he is said to have masterminded the match fixing plot for the match involving Western Stima and KCB scheduled to be played at the Moi International Stadium on Sunday.
Santos is said to have travelled to Kenya early this week and started to have contact with Western Stima players over a match-fixing deal which would see the players receive up to Kshs 600,000 but with an initial down payment of Kshs 70,000.
But the players decided to turn to the club officials and disclosed to club chairman Laban Jobita that they had been approached by an agent who wanted them to fix a game.
Jobita then asked the players to play along with the agent but cautioned them to record their conversations, and also asked a team official to keep him in the know of what was going on.
The unnamed Stima players agreed to meet the agent in a hotel in Kisumu ‘to close the deal’, but Jobita got in touch with authorities, and immediately the deal was closed, authorities moved in and caught Santos in action.
Jobita explained to Goal.com: “Some of my players approached me saying there are some individuals who want us to fix the game.”
“So, I told my players to play along, but ensure they have recorded whatever was happening. I also told my team manager to ensure he has called me so that I follow up on the conversation in secrecy.”
“I heard everything that was going on in the room and how he wanted to make a down-payment of Ksh70,000,” Jobita continued.
“He had promised to pay Ksh600,000 once the deal goes through as planned. It is at this point that we stormed the hotel and the man was arrested. He is currently remanded at Kisumu Central Police Station.”
“My players have agreed to testify against him once he is arraigned. The suspect told us he has several people who are working with him and not only in Kenya, but abroad as well. Even some referees are in this,” he added.
Stima who lie 16th on the 18-team Kenya Premier League table have been struggling financially making them an easy prey for cunning match fixing syndicates.
Jobita confirmed that he had already started his own investigations into his players over match-fixing, especially over the manner of their defeat to Tusker last week, a game in which they conceded four penalties.
“I have been suspecting there is something that is wrong somewhere,” Jobita expounded.
“For instance, in our 5-2 loss to Tusker, we conceded four penalties. It was unusual; how can one game produce four penalties?”
“I even called the league managers and complained about the same, and narrated my fears. I am just happy my players decided to collaborate with me to stop the vice from happening.”
Reports in Kenya indicate that the matter has been forwarded to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI) and will be arraigned in court on Monday if the investigations are completed.
