Singapore : Refs denied bail in sex-for-fixing case

[Mid]

Refs denied bail in Singapore sex-for-fixing case
10 Apr 2013

A Singapore court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to three Lebanese football referees accused of accepting free sex from a gambling-linked international syndicate to rig a match.


A referee puts away his red card after sending off a player. A Singapore court on Wednesday refused to grant bail to three Lebanese football referees accused of accepting free sex from a gambling-linked international syndicate to rig a match.

District judge Kamala Ponnampalam agreed with state prosecutors that there was a risk referee Ali Sabbagh and his fellow Lebanese assistants Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb would flee the country if granted provisional liberty.

The referees' lawyer Gary Low told the court they will be pleading not guilty to the charges.

A Singaporean businessman who allegedly supplied the prostitutes was granted bail on Tuesday by the same judge.

"Having considered the submissions of parties, in particular that of the prosecution, I agree that in light of the recent trend where accused in match fixing scandals have fled, most recently in 2012... that no bail is to be granted," the judge said.

The three Lebanese men have been charged with corruption for allegedly accepting sexual bribes in exchange for agreeing to fix an AFC Cup match on April 3 between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India's East Bengal.

They were abruptly pulled out before the match began and are now being held in remand at the suburban Changi Prison.

The judge on Tuesday granted bail to businessman Eric Ding Si Yang, who allegedly supplied women to the referees, despite opposition from state prosecutors who linked him to international syndicates manipulating football.

Ding, who is facing three counts of corruption, was freed after posting bail of Sg$150,000 ($121,000).

Singapore has a long history of match fixing, and syndicates from the wealthy Southeast Asian island have been blamed by European police for orchestrating an international network responsible for rigging hundreds of games worldwide.

If convicted, Ding and the Lebanese face a maximum prison term of five years or a fine of up to Sg$100,000 ($81,000), or both, for each count of corruption.

bangkokpost.com

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Court denies Eric Ding’s travel to Bangkok
John Leong
15 Nov 2013
A court has denied an application by alleged matchfixer Eric Ding to leave Singapore. Ding had applied to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to enrol his four-year old daughter in an international school.

Singaporean businessman Eric Ding Si Yang (R) arrives with his lawyer at the Subordinate Courts in Singapore on Sep 2, 2013.
(AFP/Roslan Rahman)

SINGAPORE: A court has denied an application by alleged matchfixer Eric Ding to leave Singapore.

Ding is accused of bribing three Lebanese match officials with prostitutes in return for fixing a match in Singapore in April.

Ding had applied to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to enrol his four-year old daughter in an international school.

Ding's defence said his partner, an unnamed Thai woman, did not speak English and was unable to do so herself.

The defence highlighted that Ding was not a flight risk, as he had faithfully followed reporting obligations imposed by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

It said Ding would not have applied to leave the country if it were "not critical or urgent to do so".

Prosecutors rebutted that Ding's partner should be able to enrol their daughter in school herself, as administrators of international schools in Bangkok should be able to speak Thai.

It would also not be difficult to arrange help from another person other than Ding who could speak English.

Prosecutors argued that Ding was a flight risk.

They said he has about S$400,000 in cash after selling his stake in a nightclub in Singapore in May.

Prosecutors said this was highly suspicious, and they "utterly believed" that Ding plans to abscond.

It also emerged that two business partners from the nightclub were also being investigated by CPIB, although the reasons were not stated.

But they left for Thailand during investigations and have not returned.

They said that Ding was "well-resourced" and would have little problem going on the run.

They also highlighted other assets of his, including cars such as an Aston Martin V8 Vantage worth more than S$550,000 and a terrace house.

These assets have been frozen.

Prosecutors suggested that Ding now had "a clear sense that evidence is stacked against him", and had decided to abscond.

District Judge Toh Yung Cheong said he had considered factors of urgency and necessity, and the court was not satisfied with the reasons laid out by Ding's defence.

The trial has been adjourned to an unspecified date.

channelnewsasia.com

[Bettyboo]

ing had applied to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to enrol his four-year old daughter in an international school.

Ding's defence said his partner, an unnamed Thai woman, did not speak English and was unable to do so herself.

In Thailand, people speak Thai. Not a very impressive argument from the lawyer...

[aging one]

Plus it is not enrolment time. He just wants out. But there are only a few international boarding schools here, I would imagine he is thinking of Harrow. You should have an English speaker available if enrolling your child.

He is a rich gambler from Singapore, she cant speak English, hmmmm.... Perhaps it would be better if he "tried" to enroll the daughter. But not a few days after he was indicted.