Facing charges of laundering the proceeds of crime and operating illegal gambling websites, chairman of Kythrea-based Turkish Cypriot football club Miracle Degirmenlik Hakan Torehan, appeared in court in Kyrenia on Tuesday.

He stood in the dock alongside two others, with Tuesday’s court date the latest in a series of events in recent weeks which have seen his football and cryptocurrency empire begin to unravel in parts.

The case was adjourned until April 21, with Torehan following the court case up with a press conference called in a casino in northern Nicosia.

Addressing allegations that the club has engaged in match-fixing, he accused the Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) of “blocking the way of Miracle Degirmenlik, which is walking on the path to the championship”.

He then referred to the CTFA’s decision to suspend his club’s membership of the association ahead of the matter being referred to its disciplinary board, calling on the board to make a “sane” decision over the club’s future.

He asked, “why was Degirmenlik’s membership suspended so urgently?”

He insisted that the club’s administration had at no point acted illegally and criticised the CTFA for “not standing by us” when the letter to the CTFA from the Turkish Cypriot Nicosia ‘district office’ announcing that the club would be inspected over potential lawbreaking on the part of its administration was sent last week.

The CTFA had announced the suspension of Miracle Degirmenlik’s membership last week, saying an initial letter sent by the ‘district office’ contained “serious” allegations which related to “continuous violations” of the law.

Newspaper Yeni Duzen reported that the ‘district office’ had objected to the composition of the club’s administration based as it “did not hold meetings in accordance with the law”, and because club chairman Torehan “was previously convicted of a disgraceful crime and therefore could not be chairman”.

The “disgraceful crime” in question saw Torehan, who was born in London, sentenced to a year in prison in 2019 after a court found that he had written the code for an illegal virtual betting operation.

“What is being done is a conspiracy against Miracle Degirmenlik … They are trying to take away our chance at the championship. We cannot even train. We will not even think about the cup they will take from us,” Torehan said.

He then added that he will hold a “more detailed” press conference over the matter of the match-fixing allegations his club faces next week.

The club’s suspension from the CTFA is the latest episode in a turbulent relationship between crypto firm Miracle Cash & More and Turkish Cypriot football, which has seen the club win three promotions, sue the CTFA, and have its records expunged.

The company, meanwhile, bought and then lost television rights for Turkish Cypriot football and was accused of being a “pyramid scheme”.