Serbian soccer referee detained for whistling wrong penalty

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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Police say a Serbian soccer referee has been detained for awarding a non-existent penalty during an important league match.

Police say Srdjan Obradovic is suspected of ''committing a criminal act of abusing his official position.''

Obradovic awarded the penalty to Spartak Subotica in the weekend match against Radnicki Nis that gave the home side a 2-0 victory. The two teams are fighting for a spot in the Europa League.

Police say Obradovic ''is suspected of favoring the home side.''

TV footage shows that the ball did not hit a Radnicki defender in his hand in the penalty area.