Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced the arrest of 23 people, including a coach and 11 footballers, in connection with a match-fixing investigation.
The ICAC had received reports of suspected corruption involving individual players and spent nearly a year investigating before launching the operation.
The suspects, 22 men and one woman between the ages of 25 and 36, allegedly offered bribes to players to influence match outcomes, including losing or tying games, as part of a scheme to profit from illegal gambling. The group members contacted the coach and players before matches to provide instructions and offer bribes. Some players received thousands of dollars to lose games against weaker teams, while others placed bets on the outcomes of these matches to win large sums.
The investigation also revealed that a football team recently relegated from the Hong Kong Premier League was linked to the case. While the team’s name was not released, it was confirmed that they had been involved in 18 matches with suspicious outcomes during the First Division League. Players from first division side Happy Valley, and second division clubs Tung Sing and Fu Moon were interviewed by the ICAC on Monday.
Pui Kwan-kay, the Hong Kong Football Association chairman, emphasised the governing body’s zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing and pledged to help authorities stamp out the problem in domestic football. Happy Valley finished 10th in the 14-team league this season, conceding 84 goals in the process. Kwai Tsui, who finished bottom, let in 106. Tung Sing and Fu Moon are presently 11th and 14th respectively in the ongoing 16-team second division.
The ICAC stressed that corruption of any kind, especially in sports, undermines the integrity of the game and is a serious criminal offense. The investigation is ongoing, and the suspects will face charges of bribery, illegal gambling, and other related offenses. The case is a reminder of the need for vigilance against match-fixing and the importance of maintaining the integrity of sports.
The ICAC said that it has arrested the 23 individuals, including 22 men and one woman, aged between 25 to 36 years old, following a year-long investigation into allegations of corrupt practices by individual players in a local soccer team. The team, which participated in the 2022-2023 Hong Kong Premier League, played 26 matches, of which 18 were either lost or ended in a draw, with some games suspected of being fixed.
The group members allegedly made contact with the team’s coaches and players before the matches and gave instructions to manipulate the game. Some players received thousands of dollars in bribes to manipulate games, with the highest reward reaching HK$9,000, and then played poorly to lose to weaker teams. They also participated in illegal gambling to win substantial amounts of money.
The ICAC found that some group members made exaggerated body language gestures outside the stadium to instruct players on how to manipulate the game, and then placed bets on underdogs with high odds to win huge payouts. The management of the soccer team is considered a victim in this case.
Hong Kong anti-corruption agency arrests 23 people including 11 footballers, coach as part of match-fixing probe
