Four referees and 14 players are among 25 people suspected of fixing at least 10 games in Germany's widening soccer scandal, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Police raided the homes of 19 people across the country Wednesday and seized bank accounts and property worth about US$3.17 million, the Berlin prosecutors' office said in a statement. There were no arrests.

The statement did not name any of the 14 players under suspicion, but said they were from six clubs below the first-division Bundesliga.

All are suspected of fraud or abetting fraud, the statement said.

The German soccer federation began looking into match-fixing about three weeks ago when suspicions arose over a 4-2 victory by third-division Paderborn over first division Hamburger SV in the German Cup.

Prosecutors said Wednesday's raids were based on information provided by referee Robert Hoyzer. The statement did not say which games were allegedly fixed.

Hoyzer has admitted taking money from a Croatian-controlled betting ring to rig at least four games. Hoyzer gave the names of others allegedly involved in the scandal.

Apart from Hoyzer, prosecutors said they were investigating three other referees, Juergen Jansen, Felix Zwayer and Dominik Marks.

Jansen's home was searched Wednesday. He was in charge of the only Bundesliga game believed to be involved in the scandal.

Apart from the four referees and 14 players under suspicion, three Croatian brothers were among the other suspects.

Taken into custody Friday, the brothers bet on games in Germany and abroad and made "millions," the statement said.

The 14 players were from second-division teams LR Ahlen, Chemnitzer FC, Energie Cottbus and Dynamo Dresden and third-division clubs Kickers Offenbach and SC Paderborn.

(Shenzhen Daily February 4, 2005)