Ex-FCZ sponsors before Zurich court for illegal gambling
Published: Tuesday, Dec 17th 2024, 05:50
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The men behind the former FCZ sponsor "Antepay" are on trial in Zurich today, Tuesday. They made a profit of 171 million francs with illegal gambling.
Officially, the men of Turkish origin offered a prepaid card. However, this was used for the specially developed illegal games of chance. These were only sold in around 500 Turkish pubs and clubs in Switzerland.
Between 2019 and 2023, the income from gambling amounted to around 324 million francs. The players received a portion of this, but the five defendants from the Zurich agglomeration pocketed a full 171 million francs themselves. The public prosecutor's office is now demanding large sums back, as can be seen from the indictments. Two defendants are to pay the 171 million as a so-called compensation claim.
The company apparently made an impression: between 2019 and 2021, the name "Antepay" was prominently displayed on the jerseys of FC Zurich. FCZ President Ancillo Canepa admitted to the magazine "Reflekt", which made the case public, that the sponsor had only been checked externally. He described the deal as "very annoying".
Already a conviction
The trials are shortened. This means that the defendants confess and accept sentences negotiated between the public prosecutor's office and the defense lawyers. Prison sentences of between two and four years are envisaged. If there are no surprises in court, the sentences are handed down.
One of the five accused, the IT specialist, was already sentenced by the Zurich District Court in the summer to a partial prison sentence of three years. The other four are due to stand trial on Tuesday.
The costs of these proceedings are also high: they cost around 200,000 francs per defendant. The public prosecutor's office confiscated jewelry and cash from the accused. Both are being used to cover part of the costs and claims for compensation.
©Keystone/SDA
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