Alleged football fixer Segaran 'Gerry' Gsubramaniam faces Melbourne court

[Desire]

Alleged football fixer Segaran 'Gerry' Gsubramaniam faces Melbourne court

PIA AKERMAN
The Australian
September 20, 2013 1:19PM

THE alleged ringleader of a match fixing scam at a Melbourne football club allegedly told police he was "small fry" in a larger international syndicate.

Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam, 45, faced court today as detectives from Victoria Police's Purana task force revealed their investigation now stretched beyond the Southern Stars, which plays in the Victorian Premier League, to other soccer clubs in Victoria, Queensland and overseas.

Police have described Mr Gsubramaniam as the local fixer of five Southern Stars' games, charging him with five counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome, and five charges of facilitating conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome.

The team's coach Zia Younan has been charged with four similar match-fixing offences, as have players David Obaze, Nicholas McKoy, Joe Woolley and Reiss Noel, who came from mid-level European teams to play for the Stars, and all faced court briefly today.

Giving evidence against Mr Gsubramaniam's bail application, detective acting senior sergeant Scott Poynder told the Melbourne Magistrates Court that some of the arrested players feared Mr Gsubramaniam was making "veiled threats" towards them.

He said two of the players were securing their hotel room door at night by putting a chair under the lock, afraid that Mr Gsubramaniam would "arrange for people to come visit them".

Mr Poynder said there was a risk Mr Gsubramaniam would interfere with witnesses if he was released on bail.

Detective senior constable Tracey Van Den Heuvel told the court Mr Gsubramaniam had said he was "just the small fry" of a larger operation during an interview with police.

Mr Poynder confirmed the investigation was now examining other clubs in Victoria, Queensland and overseas.

It is alleged Mr Gsubramaniam regularly spoke with people in Malaysia and Hungary, included known match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, before passing instructions to the Southern Stars coach and players on how to manipulate the match outcomes.

Mr Gsubramaniam, who is a Malaysian national, came to Australia on a tourist visa which is due to expire this weekend.

It remains unclear where he would stay if he is released on bail, with prosecutor Peter Rose SC describing him as an unacceptable flight risk.

"He is, we say, part of a large international syndicate that is operating in this country," Mr Rose said.

"If he goes out of the country, we have got no way of getting him back."

Magistrate Jelena Popovic has delayed her decision on bail to get more information about Mr Gsubramaniam's accommodation prospects.

Police in Singapore arrested 14 people this week over a global match-fixing ring, which included links to European football.

One of the world's most notorious matchfixers, Dan Tan Seet Eng, was among those arrested.

Prosecutors in Italy have accused Tan of coordinating a global crime syndicate that made millions of dollars betting on rigged Italian matches and other games across the world.

The arrests were of "extraordinary" significance and took down "the world's largest match-fixing operation based in Singapore," the secretary general of Interpol, Ronald K. Noble, said today.

 

[Desire]

Accused soccer match-fixers scared of alleged ringleader Segaran 'Gerry' Gsubramaniam, court told

by: Emily Portelli
From: News Limited September 20, 2013 12:56PM

Gerry Gsubramaniam, 45, from Malaysia.

SOCCER players charged with match-fixing are so scared of the alleged ringleader they have been barricading their doors at night, a court has heard.

Det-Acting Sen-Sgt Scott Poynder said two of the four Southern Stars Football Club players jammed chairs against their hotel room door for fear Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam, 45, would get people to "come visit them".

Mr Gsubramaniam allegedly passed on information from associates in Hungary and Malaysia - including a known international criminal fixer of sporting matches - to members of the Dingley-based club in exchange for cash, accommodation and rental cars.

Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the continuing investigation may potentially involve other Victorian clubs, as well in clubs in Queensland and overseas.

Sen-Sgt Poynder said transaction records seized from his Oakleigh South premises - including ripped-up documents that were pieced together - indicated Mr Gsubramaniam had receive about $230,000 from international accounts since July.

The Malaysian national is accused of fixing five Victorian Premier League matches involving the Southern Stars between July and September this year.

Five other men - including the team coach and goalkeeper - who were charged and bailed in relation to Australia's largest match-fixing scandal appeared at court today.

Players leave St Kilda Rd Police Station after an out-of-sessions hearing.

Sen-Sgt Poynder said the accused sportsmen were professional players from the UK and the Czech Republic, playing in the amateur league during the European off-season, and were willing to give evidence against Mr Gsubramaniam, whom they claim was "the main man".

The court heard Mr Gsubramaniam made some admissions to police, but claimed he was "a small fry" in the scam.

Sen-Sgt Poynder previously told Melbourne Magistrates' Court police began investigations in August, after data-monitoring company Sportsradar notified Football Federation Australia of suspicious betting on five matches.

He said about 440 recorded calls of Mr Gsubramaniam's indicated he received and passed on instructions on how to manipulate match scores, for example, directing players to lose or draw, concede goals or be fouled-off.

Sen-Sgt Poynder said the game results were virtually pre-determined, enabling others in the syndicate to bet on matches "close enough to be a guarantee and, of course, making large amounts of money in the process".

One call before last Friday's match in Richmond involved talk of $150,000, the court heard.

Wilson Raj Perumal

Mr Gsubramaniam was charged with five counts of engaging in, and five counts of facilitating, conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome.

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. Sen-Sgt Poynder said this was the first time new laws enacted in late April to protect the integrity of sport in Victoria had been invoked.

Prosecutor Peter Rose, SC, opposed Mr Gsubramaniam's proposed bail, alleging he may interfere with witnesses and was a flight risk because he had no significant ties to the country and could potentially access large amounts of money.

Sen-Sgt Poynder said the Malaysian man discussed obtaining passports under another name and changing the name of a flight booking in taped conversations.

Defence lawyer Michael Gleeson said his client's co-accused - a number of whom were international citizens - were bailed with suitable conditions, including surrendering passports and daily reporting to police.

Mr Gleeson said his client was entitled to bail, had no prior offences and could be subjected to delays given the investigation was ongoing.

The bail application, which began on Monday, was adjourned part-heard until this afternoon so Mr Gleeson could make further inquiries regarding where his client would reside if bailed.

The five co-accused also appeared in court this morning and had their bail conditions loosened from daily to thrice-weekly reporting to police.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic maintained the condition preventing the accused from attending any soccer matches sanctioned by the FFA.

Coach Zia Younan, an Australian citizen, and international players Joe Wooley, 23, Reiss Noel, 24, Nicholas McKoy and David Obaze each face eight charges - four counts of engaging in, and four counts of facilitating, conduct that corrupts a betting outcome.

They will appear before court again on December 6.