Five ex-players of football club charged with bribery and fraud over match-fixing
2017-6-28
Five former players of a local football club have been charged by the ICAC today (June 28) with offering and accepting bribes of $60,000 in total and fraud by contriving or attempting to contrive the results of three football matches of the Reserve Division League (RDL) organised by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA).
Kwok Kin-pong, 30, Michael Cheng Lai-hin, 31, Lee Wai-lim, 36, Chan Pak-hang, 24, and Lee Ka-ho, 24, all former players of the Hong Kong Pegasus Football Club (Pegasus), face a total of seven charges.
Kwok and Cheng face a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho jointly face a similar charge, while Cheng Lai-hin, Lee Wai-lim and Chan Pak-hang face a similar joint charge.
Cheng and Chan each faces one charge of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Lee Wai-lim and Lee Ka-ho each faces one charge of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The defendants will appear in the West Kowloon Magistracy on Friday (June 30) for transfer of the case to the District Court for plea.
In the football season of 2015/2016, nine football teams, including Pegasus, competed for the Hong Kong Premier League (HKPL) Championship organised by the HKFA. Each of the teams was required to maintain its own reserve team to participate in the RDL.
At the material time, Kwok, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho were registered HKPL football players of Pegasus for the football season. Lee Wai-lim was also a coach of the reserve team of Pegasus.
One of the charges alleges that between February 24 and 29, 2016, Kwok and Cheng conspired together and with other unknown persons to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the football match of RDL between Pegasus and the Yuen Long Football Club on February 24, 2016.
Another charge alleges that on February 29, 2016, Cheng, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered $10,000 to a then football player of Pegasus as a reward for contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the above football match.
A third charge alleges that between March 23 and 31, 2016, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho conspired together and with a then football player of Biu Chun Rangers Football Club (Biu Chun Rangers) to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of another football match of RDL between Pegasus and Biu Chun Rangers on March 23, 2016.
A fourth charge alleges that on March 27, 2016, Chan, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered $10,000 to the then football player of Pegasus as a reward for contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the above football match, while two other charges allege that between March 23 and 31, 2016, Lee Wai-lim and Lee Ka-ho, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, each accepted $20,000 from Cheng for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that between April 13 and May 13, 2016, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim and Chan conspired together and with the then football player of Biu Chun Rangers to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of a third football match of RDL between Pegasus and Biu Chun Rangers on April 13, 2016.
The HKFA and Pegasus have rendered full assistance to the ICAC in its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Friday.
Kwok Kin-pong, 30, Michael Cheng Lai-hin, 31, Lee Wai-lim, 36, Chan Pak-hang, 24, and Lee Ka-ho, 24, all former players of the Hong Kong Pegasus Football Club (Pegasus), face a total of seven charges.
Kwok and Cheng face a joint charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho jointly face a similar charge, while Cheng Lai-hin, Lee Wai-lim and Chan Pak-hang face a similar joint charge.
Cheng and Chan each faces one charge of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), while Lee Wai-lim and Lee Ka-ho each faces one charge of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 9(1)(a) of the POBO.
The defendants will appear in the West Kowloon Magistracy on Friday (June 30) for transfer of the case to the District Court for plea.
In the football season of 2015/2016, nine football teams, including Pegasus, competed for the Hong Kong Premier League (HKPL) Championship organised by the HKFA. Each of the teams was required to maintain its own reserve team to participate in the RDL.
At the material time, Kwok, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho were registered HKPL football players of Pegasus for the football season. Lee Wai-lim was also a coach of the reserve team of Pegasus.
One of the charges alleges that between February 24 and 29, 2016, Kwok and Cheng conspired together and with other unknown persons to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the football match of RDL between Pegasus and the Yuen Long Football Club on February 24, 2016.
Another charge alleges that on February 29, 2016, Cheng, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered $10,000 to a then football player of Pegasus as a reward for contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the above football match.
A third charge alleges that between March 23 and 31, 2016, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim, Chan and Lee Ka-ho conspired together and with a then football player of Biu Chun Rangers Football Club (Biu Chun Rangers) to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of another football match of RDL between Pegasus and Biu Chun Rangers on March 23, 2016.
A fourth charge alleges that on March 27, 2016, Chan, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered $10,000 to the then football player of Pegasus as a reward for contriving or attempting to contrive the result of the above football match, while two other charges allege that between March 23 and 31, 2016, Lee Wai-lim and Lee Ka-ho, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, each accepted $20,000 from Cheng for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that between April 13 and May 13, 2016, Cheng, Lee Wai-lim and Chan conspired together and with the then football player of Biu Chun Rangers to defraud Pegasus and the HKFA by dishonestly contriving or attempting to contrive the result of a third football match of RDL between Pegasus and Biu Chun Rangers on April 13, 2016.
The HKFA and Pegasus have rendered full assistance to the ICAC in its investigation.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Friday.