Singapore extends orders to hold four over match-fixing

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore has extended detention orders that allow it to hold four people accused of being involved in a global football match-fixing syndicate without charge, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday.





The four Singaporeans were arrested in 2013, together with 10 others, for their alleged roles in trying to rig football matches around the world and had been detained for the past year. The original order held until Oct 2.

One of those detained is local businessman Tan Seet Eng, also known as Dan Tan, who has been accused by Interpol as being the head of the match-fixing syndicate. Tan's lawyer Hamidul Haq did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

European police said last year that a Singapore-based syndicate had directed match-fixing for at least 380 football games in Europe alone, making at least 8 million euros (6.29 million pounds).

Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, said at a conference in London this week that by holding these four people they had "effectively dismantled the syndicate".

"We will maintain our zero tolerance approach towards corruption and in this context for match-fixing," he said in a printed version of his remarks given to Reuters.

"Offenders have and will continue to be dealt with firmly and resolutely under our laws," he added.

Under Singapore's Criminal Law act, detention orders last for a maximum of 12 months and cases are reviewed annually and submitted to the President.





(Reporting By Theodora D'cruz; Editing by Rachel Armstrong/John O'Brien)


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