An Indonesian national was jailed 30 months in Singapore for fixing the Malaysia-Timor Leste match in the recent South East Asian Games (SEA Games) hosted in Singapore.
The Singapore’s anti-corruption police unit, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), arrested him and three others after the four met to conspire the match-fix at the Orchid Country Club on May 28. In the meeting, the Indonesian national with a Singaporean and a Timor Leste national, agreed to give a S$15,000 bribe to a technical director of the Timor Leste Football Association. The technical director is to ensure his Timor Leste national team lose to Malaysia in order to receive the money. Hours after the meeting, the four were arrested by CPIB officers. The match went ahead two days later with Timor Leste losing 1-0 to Malaysia.
Photo by Reuters
CPIB was tipped off from an anonymous whistleblower and several Timor Leste players who were all under 23, were brought to assist investigations.
The Singaporean involved is 55 years old Rajendran R Kurusamy, who was known as the “Kelong King” in the 1990s where he was previously convicted for 27 months for bribery in the S-League.
Photo by the New Straits Times
If found guilty of corruption, the four face a maximum jail term of 5 years and a S$100,000 fine. The other three will be sentenced on a later date.