Saturday, November 24, 2007
Vietnam reduces terms for match-fixing referees
A Vietnamese appeal court has reduced jail terms for three referees convicted of bribery and match-fixing, state-run media said on Friday.
The court also reduced the sentences of two other FIFA-standard referees and cut by half the jail term of a club coach.
All were involved in a series of scandals to hit Vietnamese soccer in recent years.
The referees and four soccer officials were found guilty of bribery and match-fixing by a Hanoi court in July.
Six of those convicted filed appeals.
Referees Pham Huu Loc and Truong The Toan, sentenced to four years in prison each, had their sentences commuted to suspended terms, the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.
A third referee, Le Van Tu, received a 15-month suspended term instead of two years.
A Vietnam Football Federation official told the court "to grant the defendants conditions so they can soon return to serve the nation's football development," the Tien Phong reported.
V-League referee Luong Trung Viet had his seven-year prison term cut to five years while referee Hoang The Dung had his term of 55 months reduced to 33.
The court also reduced the sentences of two other FIFA-standard referees and cut by half the jail term of a club coach.
All were involved in a series of scandals to hit Vietnamese soccer in recent years.
The referees and four soccer officials were found guilty of bribery and match-fixing by a Hanoi court in July.
Six of those convicted filed appeals.
Referees Pham Huu Loc and Truong The Toan, sentenced to four years in prison each, had their sentences commuted to suspended terms, the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.
A third referee, Le Van Tu, received a 15-month suspended term instead of two years.
A Vietnam Football Federation official told the court "to grant the defendants conditions so they can soon return to serve the nation's football development," the Tien Phong reported.
V-League referee Luong Trung Viet had his seven-year prison term cut to five years while referee Hoang The Dung had his term of 55 months reduced to 33.
