Vietnamese former soccer player prosecuted for organizing gambling

A former striker of a Vietnamese soccer club has just been prosecuted for organizing gambling, after being indicted for taking bribes, according to a local agency on Thursday.

In late 2005, Truong Tan Hai, already quitting his job as soccer player at that time, acted as a mediator between local bookmakers and seven members of the national U-23 soccer team at the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games who joined hands in fixing a qualification match against Myanmar held in the Philippines in November 2005, said the Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security.

A member of the national U-23 soccer team named Le Quoc Vuong wooed six of his teammates to fix the match and make bets on the match. The seven players' poor performance on purpose resulted a 1-0 victory in favor of Vietnam as expected by local bookmakers.

Coming home after the 23rd SEA Games, Vuong received 500 million Vietnamese dong (VND) (over 31,400 U.S. dollars) from Hai and six other players 20 million Vietnamese dong (VND) (nearly 1,300 U.S. dollars) each, the agency said.

The agency has confiscated most of the ill-gained money of the seven players. It is now searching for the bookmakers.

In March, Hai was prosecuted for taking bribes. At the 2000-2001 national tournament, Hai, striker of the Sai Gon Port based in southern Ho Chi Minh City at that time, received 100 million Vietnamese dong (nearly 6,300 dollars) from the Pjico Song Lam Nghe An club based in central Nghe An province to help the rival club win the tournament's championship easily.

In addition to match-fixing cases with the deep involvement of bookies, local police have uncovered many cases, in which local clubs bribed referees and their opponents so that they got promoted, won championships, or did not have to be relegated in national tournaments.

Vietnam is launching an iron-fist campaign to cleanse its soccer of wrongdoings. Since August 2005, local police have uncovered some 50 local corrupt referees, as well as managing directors and coaches of some clubs.

Source: Xinhua