A third-division player suspected of helping to rig a game and threatening a witness was arrested Friday in Germany's match-fixing scandal, judicial authorities said.
Steffen Karl, a player for the Chemnitz club, became the first player to be arrested since the scandal broke in January.
Karl was held on suspicion of fraud, plotting a crime and coercion, according to a statement by a district court in Berlin.
In addition to allegedly helping fix a game in May 2004, Karl is suspected of offering a bribe to the goalkeeper of another club to fix a second-division match.
The goalkeeper refused and reported receiving threats after informing the German Soccer Federation (DFB) about the case.
Karl allegedly asked another person to threaten the goalkeeper to keep quiet, according to the court statement.
Chemnitz suspended Karl and said it may terminate his contract, which runs out in the summer.
Karl's arrest came one day after a second referee, Dominik Marks, was ordered held in investigative custody on suspicion of rigging three games.
Robert Hoyzer, the central figure in the biggest German soccer corruption scandal in more than 30 years, has acknowledged he was paid 67,000 euros (US$90,000) to manipulate games. He spent two weeks in custody before he was released Feb. 25.
Berlin prosecutors are investigating 25 people, including 14 players and four referees, on suspicion of manipulating at least 10 games, mostly in lower divisions.
Three Croatian brothers who allegedly masterminded the scheme also have been arrested. Another suspect, identified only as Tomislav S., also was arrested Thursday. Prosecutors said he was suspected of placing bets on four games rigged by Hoyzer in the name of one of the Croats.
Karl, a defender, allegedly provoked a foul to give Hoyzer, the referee of the match, an opportunity to manipulate the outcome and allow one of the Croatian brothers to collect on bets.
The match ended in a 4-0 victory for Paderborn over Karl's Chemnitz, with Paderborn getting two penalties.
Karl also allegedly offered 20,000 euros (US$26,800) to the goalkeeper of second-division Energie Cottbus to fix a game in the final round of last season, according to the court documents.
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