The Standard 22 June 2014

26 The Standard June 22 to 28 2014
Sport
Footballer,
businessmen
jailed over
match-fixing
JUDGE Melbourne Inman QC said those who
tried to destroy the integrity of professional
football “must expect significant prison
sentences”
TWO businessmen and a
footballer convicted of
plotting to fix the results
of football matches have been
jailed.
Chann Sankaran and Krishna
Ganeshan were convicted of conspiracy
to commit bribery and
sentenced to five years.
Former Whitehawk FC defender
Michael Boateng was sentenced
to 16 months.
Judge Melbourne Inman QC
said those who tried to destroy
the integrity of professional football
“must expect significant
prison sentences”.
All clubs needed be “extremely
vigilant”, the judge said.
Sentencing, Judge Inman told
Sankaran (33), from Singapore,
that he would be liable for deportation
after his sentence, but it
would be a matter for the Home
Secretary.
He told Sankaran and Ganeshan
(44), a British national originally
from Sri Lanka, who lived
in Hastings, East Sussex, that he
was satisfied they were the “controlling
minds” at the head of the
conspiracy.
He said the pair had come to
the UK in November last year
solely to visit clubs to find players
they could corrupt, and had
targeted lower division clubs because
it was cheaper to bribe
players on “modest wages”.
The judge also said it was sad
Krishna Ganeshan, Chann Sankaran and Michael Boateng were convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery
to see the football player in the
dock.
Boateng (22), of Davidson Road,
Croydon, south London, who was
described as a valued church and
charity group youth worker, had
allowed himself to be quickly
drawn in to the scheme, he said.
He said Boateng had tried to
recruit one of his oldest friends,
Mr Adelakun, who was cleared of
any involvement, and said he had
been perfectly willing to bring
an innocent young man into the
scheme.
The judge told him: “It is, sadly,
pure greed that allowed you to become
involved in what Sankaran
and Ganeshan were doing.”
There was evidence that both
businessmen had not only tried
to cash in themselves, but also
by selling information to others
placing bets on the games, the
judge added.
He said the pair expected to
make significant money, even
though there was no evidence
that the outcome of a match was
ever thrown.
The judge said Sankaran pretended
he was an agent for a club
in Finland and Ganeshan set up
a company in London that never
traded and never paid its rent —
to clothe what the men were doing
with “apparent respectability”.
The case showed that all professional
clubs, including nonleague
sides, needed to be extremely
vigilant to ensure the
“poison” of match-fixing corruption
did not affect them, the judge
added.
A National Crime Agency
(NCA) investigation began when
the Daily Telegraph presented
the agency with evidence from an
undercover investigation.
An NCA spokesman said over
a seven-day period in November
2013, its surveillance of the men
provided enough evidence to secure
their convictions, despite
the failure of their plot to fix a
match between AFC Wimbledon
and Dagenham Redbridge.
National Crime Agency branch
commander Richard Warner said
the businessmen had tried to
build “a network of corrupt players
in the UK”.
He said: “This is not sport as a
football-loving nation recognises
it. It is corruption and bribery
linked to serious organised
crime.”
He said the NCA was continuing
to work with the Gambling
Commission and the Football Association
and its investigation
continued.
Hakeem Adelakun, who also
played for the Brighton club
Whitehawk FC, was cleared following
the trial at Birmingham
Crown Court.
The jury was discharged from
reaching a verdict on footballer
Moses Swaibu.
Mr Swaibu (25), of Tooley
Street, Bermondsey, south London,
had denied a single count
of conspiracy to offer, promise or
give a financial advantage.
— BBCSport
West Brom sign
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
WEST Bromwich Albion have
signed England defender Joleon
Lescott after his contract at Premier
League champions Manchester
City ended.
Lescott arrives at the club as a
free agent, following five years at
City where he won two league titles
in three years.
The 31-year-old is new manager
Alan Irvine’s first signing and
joins on a two-year deal.
“I’m delighted we’ve been able
to agree a deal with Joleon,” said
Irvine.
West Brom fended off competition
from Hull City and Stoke
City to sign the centre-back, who
played only 10 games in Manchester
City’s title winning campaign
last season.
Lescott has previously worked
with Irvine in their days at Everton
while he is also familiar with
Irvine’s assistant Rob Kelly from
their days together at Lescott’s
first club, Wolves.
The Baggies added in a statement
that the deal has an option
of a further year.
“I know Joleon and the type of
personality and character he is, in
addition to knowing what he can
do as a player,” added Irvine.
“He’s a great professional and
he will add to a number of very
good professionals who are already
in the squad.”
The Birmingham-born defender
has 26 England caps but has
not played for his country since
March 2013.
Lescott made his senior debut
for Wolves in 2000 before joining
Everton in 2006. Three years later,
he signed for Manchester City in a
deal worth £22m. He has made 538
career appearances and scored 39
goals. — BBCSport
Pulis attempts to bring Zaha
CRYSTAL Palace will enquire about
a deal for Manchester United winger
Wilfred Zaha once Tony Pulis returns
from media work in Brazil.
Zaha came through the ranks
at Selhurst Park and played more
than 100 games before his £15 million
move to Old Trafford in January
2013.
The 21-year-old remained on loan
with the Eagles for the rest of the
campaign before returning to United
for pre-season training.
Zaha had to wait until December
to make his Premier League debut
for the Reds before being shipped
out on loan to Cardiff city for the
second half of the campaign.
A flurry of new signings are expected
this summer following the
appointment of Louis van Gaal
as boss. And Eagles chief Pulis is
ready to make a move to bring England
U21 ace Zaha back for another
stint in south-east London.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are showing
an interest in Mexico centreback
Hector Moreno.
The 26-year-old plays for Espanyol,
the former club of Mauricio Pochettino,
and the Tottenham coach
knows the stylish centre-back well
having brought him to Spain from
Mexico.
Everton, Southampton and Swansea
have also shown an interest in
recent months with the Spanish
side looking for £7 million.
In another development, Hull
City have completed a £6million
deal for Tottenham midfielder Jake
Livermore. Although Crystal Palace
showed an interest, Livermore
wanted to join Hull where he has
Wilfred Zahan (in red) in action for Cardiff last season
Mexico centre-back Hector Moreno (in red) goes for the ball in Brazil recently
settled alongside another former
spurs player Tom Huddlestone.
Bruce retains an interest in Tottenham
defender Michael Dawson,
while he is also keen on Sheffield
United defender Harry Maguire
and Robert Snodgrass of Norwich.
— Daily Mail