Ex-footballer pleads guilty to aiding to fix match and absconding
Ex-Kedah striker Thana Segar S Sinnaniah was charged with attempting to fix the result of a Malaysian Super League tie between LionsXII and Sarawak in 2012. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — A former Malaysian footballer who fled Singapore in 2012 while on bail after being charged with attempting to rig a football game pleaded guilty today (Jan 19).
Ex-Kedah striker Thana Segar S Sinnaniah, 40, who was re-arrested on Aug 7 last year, admitted to four charges, including three for abetting in a plot to fix the result of a match played at the Jalan Besar Stadium on May 22, 2012.
A district court heard that Thana Segar had on May 19, 2012 aided a meet-up between a Football Association of Malaysia part-time referee Shokri Nor and Singaporean Selvarajan Letchuman at a hotel room in Penang, Malaysia. Shokri was offered a RM15,000 (S$5,591) bribe to fix the result of the Malaysian Super League tie between LionsXII and Sarawak.
On the day of the match, Selvarajan, 25, placed six bets in LionsXII’s favour with Singapore Pools. Thana Segar was thus charged for dishonestly concealing the plot to induce Singapore Pools to deliver an expected payout of S$15,500, part of which was intended to be paid to Thana Segar and Shokri.
However, the plot was thwarted as all three were arrested before the match kicked off.
Shokri was removed from his refereeing duties at the last minute. The game ended in a 3-0 win for LionsXII.
While on bail for S$50,000 and having his passport impounded, Thana Segar left Singapore illegally in July 12 by hiding in a boot of the car headed to Johor Bahru from Singapore. He thus committed an offence of failing to present his passport to an immigration officer for examination.
Defence counsel Rakesh Vasu requested a four-week adjournment to prepare for mitigation, adding that the High Court’s recent elaborate judgment of match fixer Eric Ding Si Yang will be of guidance in the present case. Thana Segar will appear before the court again on Feb 17.
His accomplice Selvarajan’s case will be heard on Feb 26, while Shokri is still on the run.
