MEDIA RELEASE Tennis Integrity Unit
London, 25 May 2019
Tennis umpire Svetlana Teryaeva facing sanction after failing to report a corrupt approach to the Tennis Integrity Unit
Russian tennis official Svetlana Teryaeva has been found guilty of failing to report a corrupt approach, and knowledge of corrupt activity, to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), as required by the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
The offences relate to an approach she received in June 2017 from a third party who offered the promise of payment in return for her agreement to manipulate scores inputted on her PDA device. This would allow gamblers to bet with certainty, and profit, on scores during matches she officiated in.
Although Ms Teryaeva refused to co-operate with the corruptor, she also failed to disclose the approach to the TIU.
Having considered the case, independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Jayne Mulcahy QC found that two breaches of the TACP had been committed. A decision on an appropriate sanction will be made and announced at a future date, to be determined by AHO Mulcahy.
The relevant sections of the TACP which relate to the reporting of corrupt approaches is:
Section D.2.b.i: “In the event any Related Person or Tournament Support Person is approached by any person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or Consideration to a Related Person or Tournament Support Person to (i) influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information, it shall be the Related Person’s or Tournament Support Person’s obligation to report such incident to the TIU as soon as possible.”
Section D.2.b.ii: “In the event any Related Person or Tournament Support Person knows or suspects that any Covered Person or other individual has committed a Corruption Offense, it shall be the Related Person’s or Tournament Support Person’s obligation to report such knowledge or suspicion to the TIU as soon as possible.”
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Board, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and the WTA, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to corruption in tennis.
