Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Malaysia football match-fixing probe widens with fourth arrest

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia arrested a fourth suspect in a suspected football match-fixing scandal, an official said Friday (April 7), after three players were remanded.

Malaysian supporters cheer before the start of the final second leg soccer match. AP file photo

Malaysian supporters cheer before the start of the final second leg soccer match. AP file photo

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia arrested a fourth suspect in a suspected football match-fixing scandal, an official said Friday (April 7), after three players were remanded.

The 49-year old was detained by the anti-corruption agency after an Argentine defender, goalkeeper and midfielder for the second-tier Malaysian Indian Football Association club were also taken into custody.

The players’ arrests came after the team lost six of its last nine matches, including defeats of 7-1 and 6-3.

“The suspect was produced in court today and has been remanded for six days for investigations,” an official familiar with the investigations, who declined to be named, told AFP.

Malaysian football has been plagued by match-fixing over the years, and betting syndicates from the country have also been active overseas.

In one of the biggest cases, a 1994 scandal in Malaysia saw 21 players and coaches sacked and 58 players suspended.

In 1999, four men linked to a Malaysian-based betting syndicate were jailed for three years for plotting to sabotage floodlights ahead of Charlton’s match against Liverpool that year as part of a match-fixing plot.

In 2012, the Football Association of Malaysia suspended 18 youth players and banned a coach for life for match-fixing.

The following year, a Malaysian club suspended all of its coaches and officials after a string of suspiciously heavy defeats. AFP

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.