Lebanese in match-fixing scandal plead not guilty, denied bail
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.
The referees' lawyer Gary Low told the court they will be pleading not guilty to the charges.
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.
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 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 S$150,000.
If convicted, Ding and the Lebanese face a maximum prison term of five years or a fine of up to S$100,000, or both, for each count of corruption.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
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.
The referees' lawyer Gary Low told the court they will be pleading not guilty to the charges.
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.
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 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 S$150,000.
If convicted, Ding and the Lebanese face a maximum prison term of five years or a fine of up to S$100,000, or both, for each count of corruption.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
