'Dirty dozen'

Twelve footballers, coaches and betting agents have been arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption on suspicion of bribery, match-fixing and illegal gambling.

The 12 men - aged 24 to 54 - included a head coach and two players of a football club competing in the Hong Kong Premier League, the anti-graft watchdog said yesterday.

It is understood that the team involved is Crownity North District Football Club, which finished eighth among 11 teams after promotion to the city's top-tier league this season.

Among the arrested are the club's head coach Leung Chi-wing, first-choice goalkeeper Lam Chun-kit, 26, and veteran midfielder So Kai-tsun, 30, sources said.

A third player was arrested from St Joseph's Football Club, which played in the third-tiered Second Division Football League before being relegated to the lowest Third Division Football League this season.

Also arrested were a coach and four players of a football club competing in the second division.

The remaining three included illegal betting agents who are also a head coach and players of three other local football clubs.

Sources said one of them was Premier League club Rangers' head coach Ryan Chiu Chung-man, and a player currently playing for the Premier League club Sham Shui Po Sports Association.

All footballers involved are locals, the corruption watchdog said.

All the arrested have been released on ICAC bail.

Paul Lau Pak-cheong, chief investigator of ICAC's operations department, said the case involved three seasons starting in 2021 and each player allegedly received bribes of several thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per match.

The investigation showed that bribed coaches would recruit players who were willing to help rig matches and give instructions to them right during the matches, he said.

"The coaches would give instructions by signaling players from the side of the pitch with gestures such as taking off their hat or jackets or picking up a water bottle," Lau said.

"The bribed coaches and footballers would also place bets on illegal gambling through their family members and friends to double their profits. The investigation showed the amount of betting by some arrested persons was as high as HK$1 million in a season," he added.

Principal investigator Matthew Chang Chor-ming said the operation - named "Tenacity" - was a sequel to operation "Green Grass" launched in May last year, where a match-fixing syndicate was busted, and three footballers and a betting agent were arrested. ICAC officers said they observed the 12 arrestees' match-fixing and illegal betting behavior during the investigation of operation "Green Grass."

Chang said ICAC officers raided over 20 premises with warrants, including the residences of those arrested, and interviewed more than 20 people.

The bribery was not related to the management of the teams and instead was the players' personal issues, he said.

"These backbone members and the mastermind of the bribery already knew each other before joining the football leagues and had been participating in illegal gambling," Chang said.

"After joining the leagues, they tried to draw in other players to get the result they want and make a profit."

Chang also said the bribing was not very organized.

"Their acts to bribe other players were not very smooth," he said. "But such acts are like viruses that infect the football industry so the ICAC has zero tolerance for sports corruption. "

The ICAC said it will collaborate with international law enforcement agencies and invite experts to review the videos of matches.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said it has required the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, to have its match arrangements reviewed by the ICAC to prevent corruption.

The association said it would fully assist the ICAC in its investigation.

"The HKFA has been maintaining close contact with the ICAC and held anti-corruption talks for officials, players and club staff, and will step up relevant anti-graft work to eliminate such malpractice in the future," it said.