Bolivian tennis official suspended for 12 years for breaching anti-corruption guidelines

Percy Flores additionally fined $15,000 after 31 breaches of TACP

The Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company (ITIA) at the moment confirms that Bolivian tennis official Percy Flores has been suspended from the game for 12 years and issued a $15,000 tremendous for a number of breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

 Flores, a white badge umpire who didn’t contest the ITIA’s fees, was discovered to have dedicated 31 breaches of the TACP between November 2021 and October 2022. The breaches included routine manipulation of scores for betting functions – by purposely getting into the fallacious rating into the umpire’s handheld gadget – at ITF World Tennis Tour occasions and soliciting one other official to interact in corrupt conduct.

Anti-Corruption Listening to Officer Professor Richard McLaren decided that Flores’ breaches of the TACP merited a sanction of 15 years in accordance with sanctioning tips, however utilized a discount of three years’ suspension on account of mitigating circumstances – together with the umpire’s early admission of the fees and normal good conduct throughout the investigative course of. 

The suspension was backdated to the beginning of Flores’ provisional suspension on 8 December 2022 and can finish on 7 December 2034. Throughout this time Flores is prohibited from officiating at or attending any tennis occasion authorised or sanctioned by the governing our bodies of tennis.

The ITIA is an impartial physique established by the Worldwide Governing Our bodies of Tennis to advertise, encourage, improve and safeguard the integrity {of professional} tennis worldwide. 

Ends 

Notes for editors: 

Flores was discovered to have breached the next clauses of the 2021 and 2022 TACP (although the offenses occurred throughout two editions of the TACP, the wording of the clauses breached remained unchanged between 2021 and 2022): 

10 counts D.1.b. No Coated Individual shall, straight or not directly, facilitate, encourage and/or promote Tennis Betting (“Facilitation”). 

9 counts D.1.m. No Coated Individual shall:  

D.1.m.i. purposely delay or manipulate entry of rating(s) or scoring information from any Occasion for any motive; or 

D.1.m.ii. straight or not directly, provide, present, or settle for any cash, profit or Consideration for the delay or manipulation of rating(s) or scoring information from any Occasion. 

D.2.b. Associated Individuals and Match Help Personnel. 

10 counts D.2.b.i. Within the occasion any Associated Individual or Match Help Individual is approached by any one that requests the Associated Individual or Match Help Individual to (i) affect or try to affect the result of any side of any Occasion, or (ii) present Inside Info, it shall be the Associated Individual’s or Match Help Individual’s obligation to report such incident to the ITIA as quickly as doable, even when no cash, profit or Consideration is obtainable or mentioned. 

One rely D.2.b.ii. Within the occasion any Associated Individual or Match Help Individual is aware of or suspects that any Coated Individual or different particular person has dedicated a Corruption Offense, it shall be the Associated Individual’s or Match Help Individual’s obligation to report such information or suspicion to the ITIA as quickly as doable. 

One rely D.1.o. No Coated Individual shall, straight or not directly, solicit, facilitate or incite some other particular person to commit, try, agree or conspire to commit any Corruption Offense. 

Friday, 28 July 2023