Three accused plead guilty in Australian match-fixing scandal

A Malaysian national and two English players pleaded guilty to fixing soccer matches in Australia’s second tier Victorian Premier League on Friday. Four players and a coach of Southern Stars, already suspended from all soccer activities by the Football Federation of Australia, were also facing criminal charges related to match-fixing. The multi-million dollar racket had links with betting syndicates in Malaysia and Hungary and was smashed by the Australian police in September. [caption id=“attachment_1271653” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The multi-million dollar racket had links with betting syndicates in Malaysia and Hungary and was smashed by the Australian police in September. Getty Images[/caption] Defender Reiss Noel and goalkeeper Joe Woolley, both Britons, were convicted and fined on Friday for throwing games on the instruction of the syndicate. Noel was slapped with a fine of A$2,000 while Woolley got a penalty of A$1,200 for his role in the crime. The players avoided a stricter punishment after agreeing to help the prosecutors with evidence in the investigation, a Melbourne court said. Malaysian Segaran Gsubramaniam, 45, described by police as the linchpin of the Australian operation and a link between the team and off-shore betting syndicates, also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next year. The coach and the other two Southern Stars players will return to the court for a hearing later this month. Reuters