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BLEAK FESTIVE PERIOD: Dong Lei (left) and Zhao Zhipeng leaving the Subordinate Courts building after posting bail yesterday. Both said it came as a surprise when they were produced in court to face charges. -- ST PHOTO: LIN SIN THAI
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THE seven Liaoning Guangyuan players involved in alleged match-fixing have been suspended from all footballing activities in Singapore.
They are also staring at a possible worldwide ban by Fifa.
This was the stand taken by S-League chief executive officer Winston Lee after the players were charged in the Subordinate Courts yesterday.
He said: 'Match-fixing is a serious offence and a threat to the credibility of the game. If they are guilty, we hope that the punishment meted out will send a strong message that there is no place for corruption in football here.
'The players have already been suspended from all forms of football activities in Singapore and they will be permanently banned should they be found guilty.
'The Football Association of Singapore will also be recommending to the Asian Football Confederation and Fifa (football's world governing body) to extend their life bans worldwide should that be the case.'
Remanded overnight at the Police Headquarters, the players, some of them in slippers and shorts, had their charges read out to them at the Subordinate Courts at 8.45am yesterday.
They have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in which a conviction carries a maximum fine of $100,000 or maximum jail term of five years, or both.
The seven had allegedly accepted bribes from former team manager Wang Xin to lose several matches in the S-League.
Wang has since jumped bail - failing to show up in court on Jan 16.
Bail for the seven players was set at $15,000 each. Six of them - Li Zheng, Peng Zhiyi, Dong Lei, Wang Lin, Li Xuebai and Tong Di - will go on trial on Feb 18. The seventh, Zhao Zhipeng, will go on trial on Feb 13.
Zhao had applied for permission to return home to wed on Feb 16. He also said he wanted to beat the Feb 8 deadline to register with a Chinese club for the new season.
At the High Court to hear his application yesterday, Justice V.K. Rajah moved the player's trial to Feb13 to speed up proceedings.
Justice Rajah said: 'I am persuaded that his wedding is a matter of urgency but I am not persuaded on the Feb 8 dateline as the Chinese New Year holiday (starting today) lasts for one week in China.
'Offices will be closed and I am not convinced he can register himself with a team.
'By moving the trial earlier to Feb 13, it is the most practical solution for fair and prompt justice.'
Liaoning vice-president Steven Lee raised enough bail for only two - goalkeeper Dong and central midfielder Zhao. The others will usher in the Year of the Rat in remand.
According to Lee, Dong and Zhao were bailed out as they had 'an urge to return home to their families'.
Dong had claimed that his wife in China is expecting their first child this month.
Only four of those charged, Dong, Zhao, Li Xuebai and Wang, have engaged counsel while their other three teammates were unable to afford the legal fees.
When Zhao and Dong were freed on bail at 4.30pm yesterday, they complained about spending their Chinese New Year Eve in court and in handcuffs.
According to Lee, the seven had visited the CPIB offices to assist in investigations six times in the 84 days since the probe began on Nov 14.
Speaking to the media for the first time since news of the 'kelong' probe broke on Jan 7, Dong, 26, said: 'It was an uncomfortable experience. It was totally unexpected. We had been waiting for a quick resolution but the matter just dragged on.
'And now, this.'
Zhao, also 26, had similar grouses, saying: 'It's hard to take... to be in court and in handcuffs on Chinese New Year Eve.'
meng@sph.com.sg
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