Sierra Leone’s Kargbo denies Dutch match-fixing allegations

Former Sierra Leone skipper Ibrahim Kargbo has vehemently denied the fresh match-fixing allegations dating back between 2006 and 2010.

The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) today said they have uncovered evidence against the former Willem II midfielder who allegedly attempted to fix a match in the Dutch league.

Kargbo, 33, claimed he had no knowledge of the allegations when he was asked by this medium.

“It’s not true, these people I don’t understand what they are up to,” Kargbo told footballsierraleone.net

The former Sierra Leone skipper said: “I never met the alleged match-fixer ‘Wilson Raj Perumal’ – I never met him before.

“I don’t know what they want from me. It’s very disgraceful and shameful and I don’t know who’s behind all these claims”

“These claims have caused me sleepless nights – I know nothing about it.

“They came and interviewed me when I was in Portugal also in London, I told them I’m innocent of these claims and have nothing to do with match-fixing and nothing else to say.”

According to De Volkskrant in January 2015, Kargbo was the ringleader allegedly trying to fix two matches during the 2009- 2010 season, including one against Ajax.

However, in today’s report for the first time, it’s alleged that such a case has been established in the Nevertherlands.

The report started in 2009 Kargbo, then a Willem II player tried to fix a match against FC Utrecht.

Kargbo was suspended alongside 14 others by the Sierra Leone Football Association in 2014 over match-fixing allegations.

The KNVB also said that Kargbo “made an appointment with match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal” in order to fix the result of Willem II’s league game against FC Utrecht on 9 August 2009.

KNVB further stated Kargbo promised the then captain Michael Aerts and a third unidentified player would work together with him to throw the match against Utrecht in return for 25,000 euros ($28,025) each.

But although Utrecht won 1-0, Perumal, who has already been prosecuted and jailed in other countries for match-fixing, refused to pay saying the agreement had been for a win by more than a single goal.

“Nevertheless, it has been established that they agreed on the outcome of the match. There is not enough legal evidence to determine whether Aerts was involved and it is unclear who the third person was,” added the KNVB statement.

The KNVB also alleges that Kargbo and Perumal organised a charity match between Willem II and Sierra Leone with the aim to “manipulate” the game.

Perumal, 50, has featured in cases involving more than 100 manipulated matches around the world and been jailed in Finland and Hungary.

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