Ex-Geylang United players jailed for match-fixing attempt

SINGAPORE - Two former Geylang United Football Club (GUFC) players were jailed on Friday for trying to fix the football club's game against Harimau Muda on Thursday, reported The Straits Times.

South Koreans Jeon Byungeuk, 24 and Kim Jae Hong, 27, had tried to bribe GUFC mid-fielder and fellow South Korean Mun Seung Man, to not score against the Malaysian team.

Jeon had told Mun that someone would give him $3,000 for not scoring in the match.

Both pleaded guilty to charges of match-fixing, with Kim admitting to another charge of giving a $4,000 bribe to Geylang United's goalkeeper Yazid Yasin on April 10 to lose the game.

Kim started playing in the S-League in 2008, according to a statement from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Jeon was also a former S-League player and midfielder in Geylang United.

Both stopped playing in Singapore late last year.

The court heard that goalkeeper Yazid, 32, was promised $4,000 upfront and an additional $2,000 if the match-fixing was successful, by a South-Korean-sounding man named Andrew. 

Kim was instructed by an unknown party to prepare to fly from South Korea to Singapore to hand the money over.

Kim and Jeon were arrested soon after giving Yazid the $4,000 on Wednesday.

Both Yazid and Mun were fielded in the match, which Harimau Muda won 2-0.

Jeon was sentenced to five months in prison, while Kim was jailed 10 months.

candicec@sph.com.sg