Former Dong Nai club player sentenced to prison for match-fixing
On March 11, the People's Court of Dong Nai province opened the first-instance trial of a group of former players of Dong Nai football club on charges of gambling and organizing gambling, related to the match-fixing and football betting case at the 2014 V-League.
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| Defendants in court. (Photo: Sy Tuyen/VNA) |
The defendants brought to trial include Pham Huu Phat (28 years old, residing in Song Trau commune, Trang Bom district), Tran Van Ba (30 years old, residing in Tan Hiep ward, Bien Hoa city), Nguyen Phuc Thuan (33 years old, residing in Trang Dai ward, Bien Hoa city), Tran Dinh Hai (26 years old, residing in Phu Cuong commune, Dinh Quan district), Do Hoang Ha (28 years old, residing in Tan Hiep ward, Bien Hoa city), Nguyen Thanh Long Giang (residing in Tien Giang province), Dinh Kien Trung (26 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh city), Nguyen Duc Thien (residing in Vinh Bao A commune, Long Khanh town), Ha Niem Tien (25 years old, residing in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province) and Nguyen Van Tuong (28 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh city).
Among the defendants, six players who used to play for Dong Nai include Pham Huu Phat (former team captain), Nguyen Thanh Long Giang, Dinh Kien Trung, Nguyen Duc Thien, Ha Niem Tien and Phan Luu The Son (former players of Dong Nai club).
The People's Court of Dong Nai province sentenced Pham Huu Phat to 6 years in prison for gambling and organizing gambling; defendants Nguyen Thanh Long Giang, Dinh Kien Trung, Nguyen Duc Thien and Ha Niem Tien received 2 years in prison with suspended sentences for gambling.
The court also sentenced Tran Van Ba to 3 years in prison, Do Hoang Ha to 2 years in prison with a suspended sentence, Tran Dinh Hai to 1 year 7 months and 20 days in prison (equal to the temporary detention sentence, released at court), all for organizing gambling; Nguyen Phuc Thuan to 2 years in prison and Nguyen Van Tuong to 2 years in prison with a suspended sentence for gambling.
According to the indictment of the People's Procuracy of Dong Nai province, before the second leg of round 21, Dong Nai club was ranked 6th out of 12 teams and had secured a ticket to stay in the league. Pham Huu Phat, the former captain of this club, had the idea of arranging the score of the next match to sell the match and make money.
On July 10, 2014, Phat offered to sell information about the score of the football match between Dong Nai Club and Than Quang Ninh Club that would take place at 5:00 p.m. on July 20, 2014 to Tran Van Ba (a football betting broker) for 400 million VND. If the arrangement was successful, Ba would receive 50 million VND.
Through Do Hoang Ha, Tran Dinh Hai and Dong Van Vinh, Phat connected with Nguyen Phuc Thuan - a professional gambling organizer. Thuan only agreed to buy match score information for 200 million VND.
In addition to selling to Thuan, Ba also sold pre-match information to another person for a total of 200 million VND. On the afternoon of July 16, Phat went to Ba's house to receive 325 million VND.
On the evening of July 19, 2014, before the match took place, Phat told player Dinh Kien Trung about betting on this match. Phat discussed further with Nguyen Duc Thien, Ha Niem Tien, and Nguyen Thanh Long Giang about placing 200 million VND on the first half bet that Than Quang Ninh club would win by 2 goals or more. Later, Phan Luu The Son was also invited to participate.
First half result, Than Quang Ninh club won Dong Nai 3-1. Final result, Than Quang Ninh won Dong Nai 5-2, as arranged.
Immediately after the match, the Criminal Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) summoned and then arrested the subjects to investigate the acts of match-fixing, buying and selling results and football betting.
At court, the defendants all admitted their crimes, expressed remorse and hoped for leniency from the law so they could soon return to their families and become useful members of society./.
According to Vietnamplus
