Golden Whistle trial has begun

The Golden Whistle corruption scandal took a different turn after an autobiography by Carolina Salgado, which has become a best seller and is at the top of the charts, reveals details of referees being bribed in Portuguese football.

A Gondomar court in Portugal has begun proceedings that involve various high-ranking officials, including Porto president Nuno Pinto da Costa, Salgado's former lover.

Special investigator María José Morgado was appointed by the government to handle the case because of the seriousness of the accusations and the public scandal it has caused. He will reopen cases against 200 of the accused.

Former Portuguese Football President Valentim Loureiro, who was the mastermind behind the scandal, spent two hours answering questions.

Loureiro is also mayor of the northern Portuguese town of Gondomar and is responsible for organising the plan in which referees were bribed to ensure results, according to the Diario de Noticias.

He is reported to have used his influence to get then Referee Commission president José Antonio Sousa promoted in exchange for fixing games.

Pinto da Costa was accused of "passive corruption and falsification of documents." He has been implicated because of his involvement in the process of selecting referees in the 2003-04 season.

The case first came to light in March 2004 when authorities received an anonymous letter accusing Gondomar directors of using bribes to attempt to secure promotion for its club from the Segunda Division B.

Da Costa has already paid EUR 125,000 in bail funds as part of the ongoing investigation.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.