Singapore players sidelined
Singapore players sidelined
SINGAPORE (Reuter): Singapore's soccer authorities have told
clubs to sideline four players named in a match-fixing case, the
Straits Times newspaper reported yesterday.
It quoted S-League chief Douglas Moore as saying it would not
be fair to the players to let them on the field while the case
was under way.
"If a particular player makes a genuine mistake, fans may
compound the problem by ridiculing every move which they perceive
as wrong made by the player," he said.
Two men, a businessman and a former employee, have been
charged with corruption, criminal conspiracy and bribery over
accusations that they tried to fix matches in the S-League's
inaugural season last year.
Businessman Rajendran R. Kurusamy, 37, and former employee
Ramadas Eurulandi Sangalee, 40, appeared in court on Friday and
were freed on bail, the newspaper said. Corruption charges carry
penalties of up to five years in jail and a fine of S$100,000
(US$70,000).
The Straits Times said another man faced three bribery charges
but police had not yet found him.
The newspaper said the charges included giving money to a
referee to fix matches.
The charges also included handing over money which allegedly
eventually reached the four players.
Singapore's anti-corruption police, who are handling the case,
were not immediately available for comment.
The S-League was set up last year after Singapore pulled out
of the Malaysian League following a series of bribery scandals.
Dozens of Malaysian players were banned for lengthy periods
after those scandals. One-time Singapore star Abbas Saad, a
Lebanese-born Australian, was banned for life. A Singapore
manager and a player both went to jail.
The Malaysian football authorities complained then that
Singapore was not doing enough to clamp down on match-fixing
because it had accused only a few people of doing it. Singapore
rejected the charge.
In Europe last week, Swiss referee Kurt Roethlisberger was
suspended for life for attempted bribery. He has appealed against
the ban.