Hong Kong: 12 arrested over match-fixing allegations

Those arrested include football players. 

Hong Kong.- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has arrested 12 people, including nine professional footballers, for allegedly offering and receiving bribes for fixing matches in the local Premier League and Second Division.

Those arrested, aged between 24 to 54 years old, include the head coach and two players of a Premier League football club; the coach and four players of a Second Division club; the player of another Second Division football team; as well as three alleged illegal betting agents: respectively head coach and players of three other local football clubs.

The arrests were made on Monday (May 27). The bribes allegedly span since 2021. The football coaches are accused of making signals to the players for them to manipulate the results of matches, like the number of goals or corner kicks, match scores, etc. Over 20 premises and residences of the arrestees were raided, while over 20 more people, including several football players, were interviewed during the investigation; all were released on bail.

The HKFA said it had been collaborating with ICAC to review its code of ethics and relevant guidelines.

Last May, the ICAC arrested 23 people, including a coach and 11 players.