Proposed sentence for Berber: seven years in prison and a fine of over five million crowns

Prosecutor Jan Scholle proposed three unconditional sentences at the Pilsen District Court today in a large-scale case of corruption and match-fixing in football.

For the former vice-chairman of the Football Association of the Czech Republic, Roman Berbra, he is demanding seven years in prison, a fine of 5.55 million crowns and a ban on activities.

It proposes 7.5 years in prison and a fine for the former sports director of Slavoj Vyšehrad, Roman Rogoz, and six years and eight months in prison and a fine for former player and official Michal Káník.

Today, 11 months after the start of the trial with 21 people from the football environment and Slavoj Vyšehrad, the district court finished the evidence and started the closing arguments. The prosecutor spoke first. Sentencing is expected on June 18.

Last year, the court already accepted plea agreements signed by four defendants with Scholl – former referee Tomáš Grímm and Marek Janoch, former delegate Miroslav Skála and Petr Tarkovský.

All received suspended and financial penalties and bans.

Conditional punishments, fines and bans are proposed by the public prosecutor to the remaining accused referees, delegates or officials or players.

According to the indictment, Berbr was at the head of an organized criminal group that participated in the manipulation of ten matches of the second and third leagues in 2019 and 2020.

According to the file, Berbr used his dominant position in the FAČR and influenced the deployment of referees at Vyšehrad matches according to the requirements of the club’s sports director at the time, Rogoze.

Selected judges and delegates, as well as one player and an official of rival clubs, helped Slavoj to win for a bribe, says the indictment.