AP

ANKARA TURKISH prosecutors on Tuesday began questioning 12 suspects among some 60 detained in an alleged matchfixing scandal that has shaken Turkey’s football league and implicated domestic champion Fenerbahce.

Nigerian forward Emmanuel Emenike, goalkeeper Korcan Celikay and player Sezer Ozturk were among a first group of suspects being quizzed by an Istanbul court prosecutors, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

The court will decide whether to press charges and order their formal arrests.

Police detained 59 people in a sweep on Sunday and on Monday as part of its investigation into alleged fixing in the Turkish top flight last season.

They include Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim and at least five other club officials.

The other suspects were still being questioned by police.

Turkish news reports say the Fenerbahce officials are suspected of bribing rival teams’ players to play badly, or not play at all in games against the Istanbul side which won the Turkish league title in May.

Police has refused comment on the investigation.

Some newspapers on Tuesday printed grainy photographs, believed to have been leaked by police, allegedly showing Fenerbahce officials meeting rival team officials.

The Sabah newspaper also printed excerpts of alleged wiretapped telephone conversations in which club officials are heard talking about deals and one player admitting he “did not play to score goals” in a game against Fenerbahce.

One wiretapped player reportedly called a Muslim scholar asking for advice over whether accepting a US$100,000 bribe offered by Fenerbahce would be considered sinful, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Emenike, who played for Karabukspor, was reportedly promised a transfer to Fenerbahce in return for not playing in a match against the team‚ an allegation Karabukspor has denied.

The club said Emenike‚ who has since transferred to Fenerbahce‚ was injured a week before the game and has a doctor’s certificate to prove it.

Turkey has vowed to be tough on match-fixing, introducing legislation three months ago to battle hooliganism and cheating in football that included a maximum 12-year prison sentence for fixing games.

Taraf newspaper said however, that Yildirim, the Fenerbahce president, could face more serious charges of forming and leading a criminal gang.

It said a police search warrant was issued on those grounds.

Yildirim’s lawyer on Tuesday tersely dismissed questions from reporters.

Fenerbahce said in a statement on its website on Monday that it is confident the club will “pull through” from the investigation.