Hong Kong authorities have arrested 11 soccer players from one team over allegations of match-fixing in the local league, the city’s anti-graft authority said Tuesday.
After a year-long investigation, the independent Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday arrested 23 people, including a coach, over allegations of match-fixing in the second division in Hong Kong.
The allegations include bribery, match-fixing and illegal gambling, lead investigator Kate Choek told a news conference on Tuesday.
The committee explained that the results-fixing group was suspected of paying around $1,200 per player per match, depending on their influence.
“It’s not just how they play, it’s how they fake (the performance) or how they manipulate the results,” Choik continued.
Suspicious players can play passively to make their team lose to a weaker team or seek an unexpected outcome. The players and the group then bet on those outcomes in an organized profit-making scheme.
Local newspapers reported that the club in question was Happy Valley, one of the oldest clubs in Hong Kong.
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