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Singaporean businessman Eric Ding Si Yang arrives at the state court for sentencing in Singapore on July 24, 2014
A Singaporean businessman was jailed for three years on Thursday for providing prostitutes to three Lebanese football referees in a match-fixing attempt that has put the spotlight on the city-state’s role in global sports corruption.
Nightclub owner Eric Ding Si Yang, 32, was refused bail while he appeals the ruling, and state prosecutors said they would file a motion before a higher court to demand a harsher punishment.
Ding was found guilty on July 1 of corruption for bribing referee Ali Sabbagh, 35 and assistant referees Ali Eid, 34, and Abdallah Taleb, 38, before a match last year in Singapore.
District Judge Toh Yung Cheong said as he handed down the jail sentence that Singapore’s reputation had been tarnished by match-fixing.
“Match-fixing offences bring not only the sport into disrepute, but also affect Singapore’s reputation and image as a country internationally recognised for having low levels of corruption,” Toh said in his written judgement.
This could affect the city-state’s “drive to be a prime venue for prestigious international sporting events,” he said.
Toh earlier ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ding offered the Lebanese match officials the sexual services of prostitutes to “induce the three of them to agree to getting involved in match-fixing”.
The three officials were arrested in April 2013 before they could officiate at an Asian Football Confederation Cup match between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India’s East Bengal.
All three subsequently pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Sabbagh was jailed for six months while Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb served three-month sentences.
