Former S-League coach's match-fixing trial extends for another 3 days
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 05 January 2007 2203 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Former Paya Lebar-Punggol Football Club coach, Chow Kwai Lam, took the stand on the third day of the match-fixing trial.

Chow is accused of trying to bribe the club's goalkeeper, Zulkifli Zainolabidin, into letting in goals in a match in 2005.

Chow told the court he had often cautioned his players about the dangers of match-fixing.

His lawyer, Hamidul Haq, is building on the defence that Chow had only asked the goalkeeper if he was interested in letting in goals to test him.

The club's former manager Steven Lee, who was told about the offer by Zulkifli, also took the stand.

He denied the defence's claim that he had not reported the matter to the authorities because he thought Chow's offer was not a serious one.

On the contrary, he said he had advised Zulkifli to report the matter to the Football Association of Singapore and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau if Chow approached him to speak on the same matter again.

The trial has been extended for another three days and the date will be fixed on Monday, January 8.

The former coach is accused of offering the club's former goalkeeper some S$200 to S$300, plus an unspecified amount of money, to let in two or three goals against Home United in 2005.

If convicted, 63-year-old Chow faces fines of up to S$100,000 or five years jail, or both. - CNA/so