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Club open investigations into Walujjo match-fixing allegations
Walujjo is a trouble man. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
According to the new sports law, individuals involved in match-fixing acts, if found guilty, face up to five years in jail or have to pay up to Shs100m in fines.
City Oilers have responded to the match-fixing allegations involving their player, Edwin Walujjo, who was arrested last Tuesday, detained at Jinja Road Police Station and eventually released on Police bond.
Walujjo allegedly tried to compromise the Benin team that was taking part in the Fiba U23 3X3 Nations League that concluded on Sunday at the Hockey Grounds in Lugogo.
It is said that the forward attempted to convince the West African team to throw away a game and get paid. The team, however, only played along to get Walujjo arrested and taken in by Police. The club has now come out with a statement regarding the matter.
“It has come to our attention, that claims of match fixing have been made against a Ugandan City Oilers team player, Edrine Walujjo, by the basketball team from Benin,” part of the statement released Monday afternoon, reads.
“It has been alleged that Mr. Walujjo approached members from the Benin team with an offer of $4,000 to lose their game against Uganda in the just concluded Fiba 3X3 Nations League tournament that was hosted at the Lugogo Arena from 4 to 11, August 2024.”
With the National Basketball League now at the business end of things, the last thing City Oilers management would want is any distraction as they look to win a tenth straight championship.
But Walujjo’s presence or absence when the team returns to action on August 16 will certainly catch the attention of all those that follow the game of basketball.
Committed
As of now, the club has yet to come up with a decision but internal investigations are ongoing to ensure the matter is followed to its conclusion.
The statement concluded: “The City Oilers is committed to promoting fair play and ensuring integrity in basketball, and therefore does not condone this act. The club has been registered as a fellow complainant in the case brought by the Benin team, and is carrying out its own investigations at a club level to ascertain the validity of the claims and bring a swift solution to this issue.”
Both Walujjo and the Benin team recorded statements with the Fuba Disciplinary Committee on Saturday but the details are yet to be made public by the federation.
Police also confirmed that Walujjo had been arrested at Lugogo on charges of criminal trespass, detained at Jinja Road Police and released on Police bond as investigations continue.
According to the new sports law, individuals involved in match-fixing acts, if found guilty, face up to five years in jail or have to pay up to Shs100m in fines.
