The International Tennis Integrity Agency has banned Bolivian chair umpire Heriberto Morales Churata for six years over a number of corruption allegations.
Morales Churata was found guilty of manipulating scores to facilitate betting. He entered incorrect scores into a handheld computer at ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments in 2021-2022.
The suspension is retroactive to 8 December 2022, when a temporary suspension began. It will expire on 7 December 2028. Morales Churata is prohibited from participating in or officiating any tennis events sanctioned or authorised by the tennis governing bodies.
Morales Churata was also ordered by the ITIA to pay an additional $10,000 fine (PS8,098/EUR9 315).
Corruption charges
The ITIA found multiple violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
Five of these violations were in Section D.1.b, which states that no person covered by the TACP 2021 shall allow another person to wager on an outcome or other aspects of an event.
Morales Churata has also been found guilty of five violations of Section D.1.m. of the 2021 TAP. It is about individuals who deliberately delay or manipulate the entry of scores from an event.
The ITIA flagged up five violations of Section D.2.b.i. of the 2021 TAC. The law requires that covered persons report to the authorities any attempts at corruption as soon as they are discovered.
The ITIA also referred to Section D.2.b.ii in the TACP 2021 and 2022. It also includes a duty to report incidents or suspicions involving corruption to ITIA as soon as possible.
