Sports / Soccer
Jailed match-fixer tried to get Zim citizenship
04 Jul 2012 at 07:33hrs | Views
JAILED serial soccer matches' fixer Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal last year sought to acquire a Zimbabwean passport in a bid to disguise himself as he faced the wrath of the law in many countries.
Working in cahoots with some Harare- based former Zifa employees and administrators, the Asian match-fixer took Zimbabwe national teams to various destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe. On all the trips, the results were fixed with some coaches and players having already come forward to confirm the nation's fears.
Zimbabwe, a once top 70 country, saw it's ranking in the world drop to 130 as they lost to some countries that a majority of the Zimbabweans had never heard of after undertaking those trips from 2007.
Emails between senior Zifa employees, Perumal and some agents abroad suggest that match-fixing took place and that the Singaporean tried to get a Zimbabwean passport.
He is serving time in Finland for match-fixing which also involved some Zambian players.
In his email he wrote: "This is Wilson. I am in urgent need of you to help me out with my present situation.
"I need to renounce my Singapore citizenship in order to do that I either need to be naturalised or require permanent residence status in your country or any other country known to u.
"Does your country allow the naturalisation of a foreigner if he is married to women in your country. What is the duration one will have to wait from the date of marriage before he is allowed to apply to be naturalised.
"This is what I have in mind. I have travelled to your country on 9 August 2007. Is it possible to officially backdate the marriage with the registry of marriages in your country? What will be the cost to get this arranged."
It would appear his trip to Harare triggered the floodgates for tours to Asia three weeks later as Zimbabwe went to play in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia followed by tours to several other countries from the end of August in 2007.
The email sent to a senior male Zifa staffer now on suspension is dated 21 June 2011.
Perumal asked the local contact to check with a named Basotho administrator.
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa are the countries believed to have been targeted by the syndicate as in one email the gang said it had up to nine Bafana Bafana players under their control.
In one instance Dynamos were expected to lose a home tie 4-1 with two goals on either side with DeMbare scoring a consolation goal later.
This would have earned the locals involved in the scandal $100 000.
According to emails in Chronicle's possession Fifa sought interviews in Europe with a named journalist and a former Zifa employee.
Two other meetings were held in October and February this year discreetly as Fifa sought to clear the name of the game.
Last year's meeting, according to a letter written by a Laurent Dialo who claimed to work under the Fifa President Sepp Blatter, wanted a former Zifa employee to facilitate that the journalist travel for a meeting with Terry Steans and Chris Eaton who were heading Fifa's investigating team on match-fixing.
A call to the Fifa media office in Zurich yesterday drew a blank as staff there said they did not know Dialo.
Relations with the betting syndicate in 2008 soured when a former Zifa councillor who had a stint with a Harare club went behind his fellow match-fixers to try and organise another participation in the Merdeka Cup. An Iranian whose email address is provided could not be contacted on the same address. The same Iranian had vowed in 2008 that the Warriors were not going to play in the tournament anymore.
Zimbabwe received $70 000 for each of the three matches they played in Bulgaria, according to one of the emails. A bulk of the money went to the local syndicate members while players were often given low allowances.
A source at Fifa and another at Zifa yesterday said they were not sure whether some of the elements in the global organisation's investigating team were the right people.
"We have a statement where one of them said in return for the truth and her/his help, because that is what he/she is doing, helping us with global investigations, . . . will lend his support to help her/him clean up his/her position which is pretty bleak at the minute."
Zifa boss Cuthbert Dube said his association was eager to see those who were involved in the scam brought to book.
Former Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya was last month acquitted of match-fixing allegations.
She was arrested and brought to court by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
A source close to the proceedings at Zifa said the national association was still hopeful of conviction when the Justice Ebrahim-led Independent Ethics Committee concludes its investigations.
Zifa have indicated that they might take the route of private prosecution.
Rushwaya whose name appears in several emails could not respond to questions sent to her despite acknowledging receiving questions sent to her last night.
Others could not be reached for comment as many of them appeared to have blocked their email addresses they used during the Warriors tours to Asia and Europe.
Working in cahoots with some Harare- based former Zifa employees and administrators, the Asian match-fixer took Zimbabwe national teams to various destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe. On all the trips, the results were fixed with some coaches and players having already come forward to confirm the nation's fears.
Zimbabwe, a once top 70 country, saw it's ranking in the world drop to 130 as they lost to some countries that a majority of the Zimbabweans had never heard of after undertaking those trips from 2007.
Emails between senior Zifa employees, Perumal and some agents abroad suggest that match-fixing took place and that the Singaporean tried to get a Zimbabwean passport.
He is serving time in Finland for match-fixing which also involved some Zambian players.
In his email he wrote: "This is Wilson. I am in urgent need of you to help me out with my present situation.
"I need to renounce my Singapore citizenship in order to do that I either need to be naturalised or require permanent residence status in your country or any other country known to u.
"Does your country allow the naturalisation of a foreigner if he is married to women in your country. What is the duration one will have to wait from the date of marriage before he is allowed to apply to be naturalised.
"This is what I have in mind. I have travelled to your country on 9 August 2007. Is it possible to officially backdate the marriage with the registry of marriages in your country? What will be the cost to get this arranged."
It would appear his trip to Harare triggered the floodgates for tours to Asia three weeks later as Zimbabwe went to play in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia followed by tours to several other countries from the end of August in 2007.
The email sent to a senior male Zifa staffer now on suspension is dated 21 June 2011.
Perumal asked the local contact to check with a named Basotho administrator.
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa are the countries believed to have been targeted by the syndicate as in one email the gang said it had up to nine Bafana Bafana players under their control.
In one instance Dynamos were expected to lose a home tie 4-1 with two goals on either side with DeMbare scoring a consolation goal later.
This would have earned the locals involved in the scandal $100 000.
Two other meetings were held in October and February this year discreetly as Fifa sought to clear the name of the game.
Last year's meeting, according to a letter written by a Laurent Dialo who claimed to work under the Fifa President Sepp Blatter, wanted a former Zifa employee to facilitate that the journalist travel for a meeting with Terry Steans and Chris Eaton who were heading Fifa's investigating team on match-fixing.
A call to the Fifa media office in Zurich yesterday drew a blank as staff there said they did not know Dialo.
Relations with the betting syndicate in 2008 soured when a former Zifa councillor who had a stint with a Harare club went behind his fellow match-fixers to try and organise another participation in the Merdeka Cup. An Iranian whose email address is provided could not be contacted on the same address. The same Iranian had vowed in 2008 that the Warriors were not going to play in the tournament anymore.
Zimbabwe received $70 000 for each of the three matches they played in Bulgaria, according to one of the emails. A bulk of the money went to the local syndicate members while players were often given low allowances.
A source at Fifa and another at Zifa yesterday said they were not sure whether some of the elements in the global organisation's investigating team were the right people.
"We have a statement where one of them said in return for the truth and her/his help, because that is what he/she is doing, helping us with global investigations, . . . will lend his support to help her/him clean up his/her position which is pretty bleak at the minute."
Zifa boss Cuthbert Dube said his association was eager to see those who were involved in the scam brought to book.
Former Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya was last month acquitted of match-fixing allegations.
She was arrested and brought to court by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
A source close to the proceedings at Zifa said the national association was still hopeful of conviction when the Justice Ebrahim-led Independent Ethics Committee concludes its investigations.
Zifa have indicated that they might take the route of private prosecution.
Rushwaya whose name appears in several emails could not respond to questions sent to her despite acknowledging receiving questions sent to her last night.
Others could not be reached for comment as many of them appeared to have blocked their email addresses they used during the Warriors tours to Asia and Europe.
Source - chronicle
