Leading rugby league player-manager Sam Ayoub, 49, has been charged in connection with the police investigation into suspicious betting activity on a game last August.
Former rugby league player John Elias, 48, was arrested by detectives from the Casino and Racing Investigation Unit about 9.45am at a home in Punchbowl before being taken to Bankstown police station and later charged, like Ayoub, with attempting to defraud a number of betting agencies.
Detectives also executed a search warrant at a business premises on Hay Street in Leichhardt.
Police remove items from Sam Ayoub's Leichhardt property. Photo: Wolter Peeters
Additional charges were also laid against Bulldogs prop Ryan Tandy in court this morning, to do with his allegedly having provided false and misleading evidence to a NSW Crime Commission hearing.
Today's arrests follow investigations by police into an alleged illegal betting activity surrounding the Round 24 NRL match between the Bulldogs and the Cowboys.
Strike Force Suburb comprises detectives from the Firearms and Organised Crime Squad's Casino and Racing Investigation Unit and was established to investigate the alleged incident. Investigations are continuing.
Sam Ayoub. Photo: Paul Jones
Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis told reporters the two men had been charged with "attempting to defraud a number of betting agencies".
He went on: "We will be alleging these individuals dishonestly placed bets on the NRL game between the Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys on the 21st of August, 2010, in the knowledge that the outcome of the game had been pre-determined."
Superintendent Katsogiannis was referring to the massive plunge on the Cowboys penalty goal option as the first scoring play. Backing a team to open the scoring is normally a novelty option that attracts little interest.
Pleaded not guilty ... Ryan Tandy. Photo: Getty Images
The plunge did not come off, after the Cowboys chose not to take an easy shot at penalty goal and took a quick tap and scored a try instead.
Superintendent Katsogiannis said the investigation was ongoing, adding: "There is still work to be done and we urge anyone with information to come forward and contact investigators."
He refused to speculate on whether further charges would be laid, but said "there is still information coming to hand and we are sifting through that information, and what we can verify from that will determine whether there will be further charges".
Superintendent Katsogiannis said the maximum jail term for anyone found guilty of this charge was 10 years. Â
Police laid an additional three charges against Tandy, 29, at Downing Centre Local Court in relation to three separate incidents relating to giving false/misleading evidence at a NSW Crime Commission hearing.
Tandy was previously arrested by police in Sydney's CBD on February 2.
Earlier, Tandy pleaded not guilty to lying to the NSW Crime Commission about his betting activity on two NRL games last year.
Tandy appeared in court today on four charges of giving evidence that was false or misleading at two Crime Commission hearings.
Police allege that, at a hearing on January 20, Tandy lied about his "betting activity with [former journalist] John Schell".
The Herald understands this does not relate to the alleged illegal betting activity on the Bulldogs v Cowboys match.
Then at a second hearing, on February 2, police say he gave false or misleading evidence about:
- Having a conversation discussing his position on the field at kick-off during a Bulldogs v Cowboys game in August last year.
- His betting activity and access to his TAB account.
- Having placed a bet on the Bulldogs v Titans game on June 18 last year.
The NSW Crime Command's Racing and Casino Investigation Unit has been examining suspicious betting on the clash between the Bulldogs and the North Queensland Cowboys.
The incident involved a plunge on a betting option that the first points of the game would come from a penalty goal.
Tandy was penalised two minutes into the game for impeding Cowboys playmaker Grant Rovelli in front of the posts.
The Cowboys did not opt for a kick at goal, but chose to take a quick tap and scored a try out wide.
After he pleaded not guilty today, Tandy's bail was continued and the case was adjourned to April 7.
NRL chief exectutive David Gallop said rugby league would survive the scandal.
"It's a seriously alarming development," he told reporters.
"I can't comment on the guilt or innocence of those that have been charged. What I can say is the game is strong in its resolve to investigate these types of issues, make sure that it's placed in the hands of the police quickly.
"We've done that on this occasion and we now need to let them and the court process play out."
Kate McClymont, Greg Prichard, Louise Hall with AAP
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