Footballer sentenced for offering bribes to fix match
2011-12-30
A football player, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to a detention centre for offering bribes to his teammates for assistance in fixing a match against Russia’s national youth team.
Iu Wai, 20, earlier pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Magistracy to two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen remarked that the defendant premeditated in recruiting for a crime syndicate his teammates to join in a match-fixing scam. Such a disgraceful dealing tarnished Hong Kong’s reputation.
The magistrate added that the court must mete out a deterrent sentence of a disciplinary nature to the defendant in view of the seriousness of the bribery offence.
Meanwhile, the magistrate also praised the defendant’s teammates for resisting the temptation of corruption.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a player of Hong Kong Sapling Football Club (HKSFC).
On November 15, 2011, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department hosted an international friendly football match between Hong Kong Youth Representative Team (HKYRT) and Russian National Youth Team (RNYT) at the Mong Kok Stadium.
To form HKYRT, the Hong Kong Football Association Limited (HKFA) selected 20 football players under 21 years old from the 10 football teams participating in the First Division Football League, including HKSFC.
Amongst the 20 selected football players, eight of them, including the defendant, Chan Cham-hei and Chiu Yu-ming, came from HKSFC.
Between November 11 and 14, all the 20 football players of HKYRT attended a residential training camp at a hotel in Kwun Tong.
The court heard that on November 12, the defendant asked Chan if he was willing to deliberately lose a few more goals in the match with RNYT. In return, several tens of thousands of dollars would be offered to Chan.
Knowing that the defendant was asking him to fix the match, Chan declined his request.
Two days later, the defendant approached Chiu, goalkeeper of HKYRT, asking if he was willing to lose three goals in the first half of the match with RNYT for a reward of $40,000. Chiu declined the defendant’s offer.
The defendant was arrested on November 15. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had offered advantages to Chan and Chiu on the two said occasions, the court was told.
HKFA had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor June Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer James Cheng.
Iu Wai, 20, earlier pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Magistracy to two counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen remarked that the defendant premeditated in recruiting for a crime syndicate his teammates to join in a match-fixing scam. Such a disgraceful dealing tarnished Hong Kong’s reputation.
The magistrate added that the court must mete out a deterrent sentence of a disciplinary nature to the defendant in view of the seriousness of the bribery offence.
Meanwhile, the magistrate also praised the defendant’s teammates for resisting the temptation of corruption.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a player of Hong Kong Sapling Football Club (HKSFC).
On November 15, 2011, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department hosted an international friendly football match between Hong Kong Youth Representative Team (HKYRT) and Russian National Youth Team (RNYT) at the Mong Kok Stadium.
To form HKYRT, the Hong Kong Football Association Limited (HKFA) selected 20 football players under 21 years old from the 10 football teams participating in the First Division Football League, including HKSFC.
Amongst the 20 selected football players, eight of them, including the defendant, Chan Cham-hei and Chiu Yu-ming, came from HKSFC.
Between November 11 and 14, all the 20 football players of HKYRT attended a residential training camp at a hotel in Kwun Tong.
The court heard that on November 12, the defendant asked Chan if he was willing to deliberately lose a few more goals in the match with RNYT. In return, several tens of thousands of dollars would be offered to Chan.
Knowing that the defendant was asking him to fix the match, Chan declined his request.
Two days later, the defendant approached Chiu, goalkeeper of HKYRT, asking if he was willing to lose three goals in the first half of the match with RNYT for a reward of $40,000. Chiu declined the defendant’s offer.
The defendant was arrested on November 15. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had offered advantages to Chan and Chiu on the two said occasions, the court was told.
HKFA had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor June Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer James Cheng.