Footballer blames team rift for ‘false claims’ in Hong Kong match-fixing trial

Lawyers for a footballer implicated in Hong Kong’s largest match-fixing case in recent years have argued that one of his former teammates made false accusations against him due to a conflict among the players.

Former Hong Kong Under-23 player Brian Fok appeared at Eastern Court on Monday accused of offering bribes of HK$50,000 (US$6,428) to two teammates in 2021 and conspiring with three others to rig 32 local matches during the 2022-23 season.

The 31-year-old Nigerian-born defender pleaded not guilty to three counts of offering an advantage to an agent and two of conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

Also facing trial are fellow players Luciano Silva da Silva, 38, and To Chun-kiu, 31, and betting agent Waheed Mohammad, 29.

They each denied between one and two counts of the same conspiracy offence.

Prosecution witness Jean Maciel, a former Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) player, testified that his then teammate Fok invited him to “do some business” together in October 2021 by intentionally losing Premier League matches.

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