Rot in jail, you fool

football, was yesterday sentenced to two years in prison for his part in a match-fixing scam in Finland’s top division league.
Perumal was convicted of bribery, forgery and illegal border crossing.

Seven Zambian players, involved in the match-fixing scandal in Finland, were handed suspended jail terms.
Prosecutors had called for jail sentences for the Zambians but the judge decided to spare them prison time after ruling that they had been abused by a hardcore criminal and his underworld network.
The court handed suspended sentences, ranging from six months to 20 months, to the seven Zambian players connected with the scandal.

“Perumal’s sentence was toughened by the fact that he had planned his actions and that he has acted as a member of international organised group doing betting scams,” the court said in a statement yesterday.
The Zambian players – Godfrey Chibanga, Chileshe Chibwe, Francis Kombe, Stephen Kunda, Christopher Musonda, Chanda Mwaba and Nchimunya Mweetwa, who play for Rovaniemi Palloseura (RoPs) – were sentenced along with their two Georgian teammates.

The players are now free to leave Finland but their future in the game is uncertain as they could face possible ramifications from world football governing body Fifa.
The players were convicted of accepting bribes of between US$15 000 to US$57 000 each to affect the outcome of matches.

Perumal, was sentenced to two years in prison, after the court ruled that he netted US$210 000 for fixing results in Finnish league matches since 2008.
The Lapland district court said Perumal had contacted players and referees to fix matches.
The court said Perumal was part of a group that tried to fix matches played by the Rovaniemi club between June 2008 and February 2011. Perumal bribed seven Zambian and two Georgian players, it added.

Perumal paid players up to 20,000 euros ($28 290) per match and received up to 50 000 euros, in addition to some of the betting profits, each time the results were fixed.
The court said Perumal had cooperated with authorities.

The Singaporean is also suspected by world governing body Fifa of fixing international games involving African and Asian national teams.
Perumal was arrested in February after having entered Finland with a fake passport.

He was accused of being a central figure in a match-fixing scam that focused on the local team in the northern town of Rovaniemi.
The court said 24 Rovaniemi matches were fixed, and that Perumal’s involvement was proven in seven of them.

It said he also fixed two other Finnish league matches, involving the Oulu and Mariehamn teams.
Prosecutors have said three other match-fixers were involved in the Rovaniemi case but they have not been able to establish their identities.
The Finnish league has been overshadowed by match-fixing scandals since it kicked off in May. – BBC Sport/Reuters/Sports Reporter.