Hong Kong: 4 charged for alleged match-fixing

Authorities have charged three footballers and a betting agent.

Hong Kong.- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has charged three footballers and a betting agent for alleged involvement in match-fixing in the Hong Kong Premier League and First Division. 

The charges come as a result of Operation Green Grass, a crackdown on football match-fixing and illegal gambling conducted by ICAC last year. Those charged include Nigerian-born centre-back Brian Fok, who has played for Hong Kong Football Club and Happy Valley Athletic Association; Luciano Silva da Silva, a Brazilian center-back for Central and Western District Recreation and Sports Association; To Chun-kiu, former goalkeeper of Sham Shui Po Sports Association; and betting agent Waheed Mohammad.

Fok is accused of offering an advantage to an agent, and all four are accused of conspiring to cheat at gambling. They are scheduled to appear at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (February 16).

According to ICAC findings, Fok allegedly attempted to bribe teammates from HKFC with amounts ranging from HK$10,000 to HK$30,000 per match in late 2021. Between August 2022 and April 2023, the defendants allegedly conspired with a betting agent to manipulate match outcomes for gambling purposes, particularly targeting matches involving Happy Valley and Central & Western District. 

Fok allegedly provided live signals to betting agents during up to 30 matches.

See also: Hong Kong: 9 arrested for alleged illegal gambling