Bolivian Tennis Official Suspended for 12 Years for Breaching Anti-Corruption Rules
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that Bolivian tennis official Percy Flores has been suspended from the sport for 12 years and issued a $15,000 fine for multiple breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
Flores, a white badge umpire who did not contest the ITIA’s charges, was found to have committed 31 breaches of the TACP between November 2021 and October 2022. The breaches included routine manipulation of scores for betting purposes – by purposely entering the wrong score into the umpire’s handheld device – at ITF World Tennis Tour events and soliciting another official to engage in corrupt conduct.
Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Professor Richard McLaren determined that Flores’ breaches of the TACP merited a sanction of 15 years in accordance with sanctioning guidelines, but applied a reduction of three years’ suspension due to mitigating circumstances – including the umpire’s early admission of the charges and general good conduct during the investigative process.
The suspension was backdated to the start of Flores’ provisional suspension on 8 December 2022 and will end on 7 December 2034. During this time Flores is prohibited from officiating at or attending any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis.
