Charges for ex-head of Polish football federation

Michal Listkiewicz, former head of Poland's embattled PZPN football federation was charged with fraud Thursday carrying a maximum eight years in jail if found guilty, prosecutor's spokesman Jerzy Kasiura said Thursday.

- He was charged and released from custody after paying 60,000 zloty (14,600 euros, 89,000 dollars) bail - Kasiura told Poland's TVN24 news channel.

The 56-year-old was replaced as PZPN head in October 2008 by former Polish international footballer Grzegorz Lato.

Prosecutors in Poland's south-eastern city of Wroclaw leading a wide-ranging probe into corruption in Polish football have accused Listkiewicz of ordering the illegal transfer of seven million zloty (1.7 million euros, 2.5 million dollars) from PZPN coffers to the Poland Premier League side Widzew.

Over the last year, five Polish Premier League football clubs have been relegated for match-fixing as a result of the corruption probe which has so far seen more than 300 people, including judges, players, coaches and PZPN officials charged or tried for match-fixing and financial crimes.

In October 2008, the former Polish national team coach Janusz Wojcik was charged with corruption risking ten years behind bars.

A month earlier, Poland's sports ministry had replaced the PZPN board, then headed by Listkiewicz who was roundly criticised for turning a blind eye to corruption in Polish football.

The ministry's decision to install an interim administrator as PZPN chief drew the ire of international footballing bodies FIFA and UEFA, accusing Polish authorities of violating the independence of the Polish football federation.

Listkiewicz was re-installed by the ministry as PZPN chief after FIFA threatened to suspend Poland from qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup.