Europe match-fixing probe reveals link to S'pore-based criminal network

[PhilOakey]

Europe match-fixing probe reveals link to S'pore-based criminal network
Posted: 04 February 2013 2208 hrs



SINGAPORE: European police have found evidence that a Singapore-based criminal network is involved in fixing about 380 football matches across Europe.

Robert Wainwright, director of Europol said: "Among the 380 or so suspicious matches identified in this case are qualification matches for the World Cup and European football championships, two UEFA Champions League matches, including one played in England, and several top-flight matches in European national leagues."

The five-country probe uncovered about US$10.9 million in betting profits and at least US$2.7 million were given to players and officials as bribes.

The Europol chief said a Singapore-based crime group spent up to US$137,000 per match in bribes.

At least 425 referees, players, criminals and other officials are suspected of being involved.

A further 300 suspicious matches were identified in Africa, Asia, South and Central America.

Previously, Singapore businessman Wilson Raj Perumal was suspected of rigging games in several countries and was jailed in Finland in 2011.

- CNA/xq

[Watto]

The kelong blame game begins

March 4, 2013 - 1:18am

By: Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
Dilenjit Singh




THE finger-pointing has begun and some Singaporeans who have been linked to match fixing are getting nervous. It would be hard to trust each other now, said a man who was questioned by police recently.

About two weeks ago, several Singaporean men were picked up by the police and taken to Cantonment Police Complex for questioning over match fixing. It happened around the time that an alleged "key" element in a major kelong probe was arrested at Malpensa airport in Milan, Italy, after arriving on a flight fromSingapore.

The arrest of Slovenian Admir Suljic on Feb 22 was accompanied by talk that alleged match-fixing mastermind Dan Tan Seet Eng, a Singaporean, was assisting the police in their investigations.

The man, who is in his 40s, told The New Paper: "They picked me (up) outside, not at my flat. As far as I know, everybody else also got picked up outside." He declined to be named, so we’ll call him Mr Y.

He was among a handful of men named by convicted match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, 46, in his letters to TNP. Wilson Raj, who is under house arrest in Hungary, has alleged that some of these men, together with Mr Tan, had betrayed him.

Mr Tan has been accused of financing more than 30 rigged matches in Italy’s Serie A and Serie B. Mr Y said: "Wilson (Raj) probably gave up my name, saying that I fixed the games in Europe. That's why I was questioned. I was not involved. I had nothing to do with Europe."

Unlike Singaporeans such as Mr Tan, MrChoo Beng Huat and Mr Poh Hock Kheng, Mr Y was not named in Italian court papers last year. But he and other Singaporeans have been linked to match rigging in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

In December last year, the South African Football Association (Safa) said that its pre-2010 World Cup friendlies had been rigged by Singaporeans. A Safa statement said the matches had been "infiltrated" by Wilson Raj and his "bogus" football company, Football Four U.

Similarly, Zimbabwean and Togolese authorities have alleged that their national players had been corrupted by Singaporeans. So who else had been questioned, TNP asked Mr Y.

'The sabo king is...'

He rattled off a few familiar names, some of which had appeared in previous TNP reports. TNP understands that the police have questioned more than six people. Mr Y added: "I don't think anybody in this group will sabo(tage) each other. The big sabo king is Wilson (Raj).

"We're not supposed to speak to each other directly because of the investigation, but people talk and that's how we know who was picked up. For now, I've got to keep a low profile."

The self-employed man also said that his passport has been impounded. He added: "I spent close to three hours at the police station. They (the police) were more interested to find out about Dan Tan and Wilson Raj and they asked me about my involvement."

Mr Y said he was asked to sign a statement after the police interview. It is not known if he will be questioned further. The police were unable to provide any updates as their investigations are ongoing.

The police announced on Feb 21 that a team comprising two police officers and two Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau officers will head to Interpol headquarters in France. There, the team will study the evidence against Mr Tan, who was issued a red notice by Interpol on a request from the Italian authorities.

Should there be strong evidence implicating Mr Tan in the Italian kelong probe, the 48-year-old will be arrested. These latest developments have made some people nervous, said a convicted match fixer.

The Singaporean, who declined to be named, told TNP last week that some of them were afraid to be seen in public in case it drew attention to themselves and their associates. He said: "A lot of people (who were questioned) are afraid. They pretend to be brave but they hope Wilson Raj doesn’t return to Singapore.

"If he does, it would get messy here."

Some fear that Wilson Raj would spill the beans on them the same way he gave up his alleged former boss, Mr Tan, to investigators in Finland, where he was arrested in February 2011.

[Watto]

Is Indonesia new target of football match-fixers?

March 7, 2013 - 1:12am

By: Zaihan Mohamed Yusof



They thought nobody would notice them.

Four men suspected of being part of a Singapore-Malaysia match-fixing syndicate entered Indonesia on numerous occasions in April and May last year.

Despite their attempts to be discreet, the three Malaysians and a Singaporean were already under surveillance, a sports corruption investigator told The New Paper about two months ago.

Mr Michael Pride of UK-based Sport Data Group, said: “Source information suggested that the group had allegedly been linked to two fixed matches in the Indonesian Super League."

While last year’s incursion by the Singapore-Malaysia syndicate may be shocking, Indonesian football is rife with corruption, say prominent figures in Indonesian football scene.

A recent report by Save Our Soccer, a non-governmental group based in Jakarta, shows cases of alleged bribery, misuse of government funds, sporting advantage, interference by political parties and illegal betting syndicates over a 10-year period.

Read the full report in The New Paper on Thursday (March 7).

[Watto]