Singaporean duo’s slam dunk scandal: Basketball match fixing duo hits the court
A 30 year old Singaporean man found himself facing an eight-month jail term for his involvement in match fixing basketball matches in Thailand.
The scandalous case, unravelling in the heart of the Singaporean sports scene, involves illicit bets, secret Facebook conversations, and a plot to rig matches in the Thailand Basketball League (TBL).
Poh Wei Hao and Koa Wei Quan, both former professional basketball players for an undisclosed local club in 2009, joined forces in a sinister plan to fix matches and rake in illegal profits.
In either 2017 or 2018, Koa stumbled upon Poh’s penchant for placing illegal sports bets online. This revelation became the catalyst for a nefarious collaboration, as Koa proposed the idea of fixing matches to increase their chances of winning bets, revealed Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Wong.
“Match fixing would increase the likelihood of Koa and Poh winning their online bets and making a profit, as they would be placing bets for match outcomes that were already agreed with the players involved.”
The duo set their sights on the Thailand Basketball League, where discussions with two Filipino players, Almond Pineda Vosotros and Leonidez Zapata Avenido, took place on a covert Facebook group. The objective? To fix matches in exchange for lucrative payoffs.
Vosotros allegedly agreed, ensuring PEA’s loss in a TBL match against Mono Vampire basketball club on July 1, 2018. Koa, aware of the fix, handed money to Poh, who promptly delivered US$1,000 (26,000 baht) to Vosotros six days later, reported The Straits Times.
The duo’s greed didn’t stop there. On July 7, 2018, discussions to fix another match took place. Vosotros allegedly demanded US$1,500 for his services, a deal that Poh accepted on Koa’s behalf. However, the sinister plan crumbled as they failed to place a bet based on the desired outcome, leaving Vosotros betrayed and empty-handed.
Poh Wei Hao, acknowledging his guilt, pleaded on November 22 to charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. With Koa Wei Quan’s case pending, the courtroom drama continues. For each graft charge, offenders can face up to five years in jail and a hefty fine of up to US$100,000.
