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CPIB moves in on SEA Games match-fixers

SINGAPORE — The Timor Leste football team are scheduled to play their SEA Games opening match with Malaysia tonight, but they were a picture of gloom at Days Hotel in Balestier Road yesterday evening after returning from their final training session at Gombak Stadium.

SINGAPORE — The Timor Leste football team are scheduled to play their SEA Games opening match with Malaysia tonight, but they were a picture of gloom at Days Hotel in Balestier Road yesterday evening after returning from their final training session at Gombak Stadium.

They were downcast because some team members were hauled up as the Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) swooped down on match-fixing activities before the start of the Games football competition yesterday.

TODAY understands that among those nabbed is a Timor Leste football official. The operation also netted a Singaporean and several foreigners, the CPIB said in a statement. They will be charged in court this morning.

“The CPIB has been proactively monitoring football match-fixing activities in Singapore, particularly with the kick-off of the 28th SEA Games football tournament,” the statement added.

“Acting swiftly on information received, the CPIB mounted an operation that spanned the late hours of May 28 to the early hours of May 29, which resulted in the arrests of a Singaporean alleged match-fixer and several co-conspirators of different nationalities. Some members from the Timor Leste SEA Games football team are also assisting the bureau in its investigations.”

The Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee last night said there would be no change in the football fixtures, and that the Timor Leste-Malaysia match would go ahead as planned at Bishan Stadium tonight.

But the swift action by the CPIB caught Timor Leste head coach Fabio da Silva by surprise. The Brazilian said he was in the dark about what had happened, and that his team manager was not around to provide any answers. “I am surprised because when I conducted training this morning we were missing three players and I asked what happened,” said the 37-year-old.

“Of course, my team were affected because we were training with fewer players. They also don’t know what has happened. But I told the players who are still with me to just concentrate on what we came here to do, and that is to play football.

“We have an important match against Malaysia, so we have to keep our focus and forget about other things.”

Security was tightened at the hotel that hosts the football teams, with more than the usual number of uniformed police and security personnel present after the CPIB action.

Malaysia coach Ong Kim Swee was also shocked by the events. He said: “The tournament has barely started. We have to be aware of this, and security has to be beefed up. Our players had a session on integrity before coming to Singapore, because we are aware of what can happen.

“We have to focus on our match with Timor Leste and not think of what has happened to them.”

Football Association of Singapore spokesman Gerard Wong said the Singapore team officials and players were briefed on match-fixing and football corruption, and that the association would permanently suspend those convicted of such offences.

“We have instructed our players to always travel in groups or in pairs to deter people from approaching them,” said Mr Wong.

“We have put in place several security measures around the team.”

Philippine coach Marlon Maro added that his players were given ample warning on the consequences of match-fixing before they headed to the Games, and he is confident they would keep their noses clean.

“My players will not join in on these activities,” said Mr Maro. “It is a pity that such a thing had happened even before the SEA Games opening ceremony. It spoils the beauty of football in South-east Asia.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ADELENE WONG

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