Brazilian referee Edilson Pereira de Carvalho was banned for life on Monday after the country's top sporting tribunal found him guilty of involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

After a hearing in Rio de Janeiro, the five-man tribunal said it had unanimously found Carvalho guilty of "giving or promising to give an unfair advantage by influencing the result and acting in a manner which undermines the dignity of the sport".

The official, who admitted on national television to taking money from a gambling ring to manipulate results, refereed 11 matches in this year's Brazilian championship, all have been declared void and will be replayed.

Carvalho and Paulo Jose Danelon, who took charge of games in the second division, were suspended on September 24 as the scandal first erupted.

Carvalho spent five days in federal police custody along with businessman Nagib Fayad, who is alleged to be part of the gambling ring while Danelon admitted during questioning that he fixed three games for $4,400 dollars each.

All three face charges of fraud, conspiracy and crimes against the economy.

IN DEBT

Earlier this month, Carvalho told Globo television: "I was corrupted, I allowed myself to get taken by this easy money... I did it because I wanted to. I was seduced and I was wrong."

He said that he got involved because he was in debt.

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The tribunal's decision to order all matches to be replayed has upset some clubs because prosecutors say that Carvalho did not attempt or succeed in swinging every match he officiated.

The first four games were replayed last week and all ended in different results to the original matches.

Vasco da Gama said they would demand a second replay because of what they said were refereeing mistakes in their 3-3 draw with Figueirense, after they won 2-1 the first time around.

Last Thursday, another replayed game was abandoned in the 89th minute when furious Santos fans ran on to the pitch during their clash with Corinthians.

Santos, who had won their first meeting 4-2, were furious when Corinthians were awarded a controversial penalty in the 86th minute to go 3-2 ahead.

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