A MOUNT Cotton man has been charged after a long police investigation into a harness racing incident.
Police said the man, 35, had been charged and released on bail and would appear at Cleveland Magistrates Court on December 12 in relation to one charge of match-fixing.
A police spokesman said in a statement that detectives attached to the Queensland Racing Crime Squad working with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission integrity regulatory unit stewards ended a protracted investigation relating to a harness racing participant.
Police will allege the man affected the outcome of a harness race at Redcliffe on December 9, last year.
He is the third person involved in harness racing to be charged with match-fixing.
Detective Inspector Mick Dowie of the drug and serious crime group said that while the investigation was ongoing, QPS would continue to target anyone involved in illegal activity in the racing industry.
“The Queensland Racing Crime Squad will pursue all information received regarding match fixing and criminal conduct across all codes of racing,’ he said.
“I urge anyone with information about match-fixing to contact the police or Crime Stoppers.”
The max-fixing offence was added to the state’s criminal code in 2014 and carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment
Since its inception on July 1, 2016 the QRCS has been embedded with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission at Albion.
It has been investigating serious animal cruelty and major and organised crime across all three codes of racing.