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Sunday 10 February 2013

Silence on match-fixing probe puts Singapore at risk

By John O’Callaghan

SINGAPORE |
Wed Feb 6, 2013 6:11pm EST

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore is working with European authorities investigating the fixing of soccer matches on a global scale but its silence on any action being taken against local suspects risks damaging the reputation of the wealthy, tightly regulated Asian country.

European investigators said this week they believe the results of hundreds of soccer matches were fixed at club and national level, with some of the key figures alleged to have run the bribery scam out of Singapore.

Interpol, the international police organization, did not reply to questions from Reuters about the investigation in Singapore, saying it does not comment on specific cases.

But Interpol chief Ronald Noble told Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper it would be wrong to assume “that only Asian organized crime is responsible for match-fixing in Europe and around the world”.

It would be unfortunate if Singapore’s “well-earned anti-crime reputation” suffered from the allegations, he said in remarks published on Wednesday, but added the city-state must show it is serious about tackling the problem.

“Until arrests are made in Singapore and until actual names, dates and specific match-fixing details are given, these organized criminals will appear above the law and Singapore’s reputation will continue to suffer,” Noble said.

In November, he had said: “In the near future, Singaporeans will be reading about arrests made here in Singapore.”

Police in the city-state said on Tuesday they “are assisting the European authorities in their investigations” and that “Singapore takes a strong stance against match-fixing”.

Beyond that, Singapore authorities have yet to say anything about the state or scope of the investigation, including whether they are pursuing the main suspect – identified by various media in 2011 – and others listed in Italian court documents.

This is not entirely surprising in a country where the government keeps a tight rein on information – and police may not want to jeopardize their case. But the lack of comment about a global scandal with roots in Singapore contrasts with this week’s very public announcement by European investigators.

With the same party in power for five decades, Singapore has long projected itself as a paragon of good governance and clean living in a turbulent region often rife with corruption. But its links to the match-fixing illuminate a darker underside.

Having Singaporeans as key suspects in the scandal was “extremely shocking” but not a total surprise for Jerome, a 43-year-old transportation worker making legal bets on soccer matches at a state-run Singapore Pools outlet.

“I know it’s still happening,” he said. “Like loan sharks, it’s still happening, not being stopped yet.”

“OBLIGATED TO RESPOND”

Chris Eaton, former head of security at soccer’s governing body FIFA and now a director at the International Centre for Sport Security, said Singapore was “either being very cautious, very thorough or they don’t have enough to go on”.

“I don’t know why they appear to not be doing anything but I hope they are,” he said. “I’m sure they’re doing their best to limit embarrassment. Now they’re obligated to respond to the mounting international evidence against Singaporean gangs.”

Sources close to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said it was assisting police and the city-state’s anti-corruption bureau.

“It is a global problem and FAS will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities, both at the domestic and international levels, to combat match-fixing and football corruption aggressively,” the association said in a statement.

Singapore hosted an Interpol-sponsored meeting in November of about 50 international sports integrity experts to discuss match-fixing and how to combat corruption.

It is set to have even tighter ties with Interpol when the international body opens a new global complex in the city-state in 2014 that will house a FIFA anti-corruption training centre.

“There are illegal betting syndicates operating across Asia,” said B.C. Tan, head of organized crime research at World-Check, a risk analysis firm owned by Thomson Reuters.

“There has to be collective effort from law enforcement agencies in Asia and beyond to address this issue.”

During the 2010 World Cup, links between organized crime and illegal soccer betting in Asia came to the fore when Interpol coordinated an operation that led to the arrests of 5,000 people and the seizure of nearly $10 million.

An Interpol statement at the time said “police across China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand identified and raided nearly 800 illegal gambling dens which handled more than $155 million worth of bets”.

In the allegations unveiled this week, a German investigator described a network of couriers taking bribes around the world to pay off players and referees.

“We have evidence for 150 of these cases, and the operations were run out of Singapore with bribes of up to 100,000 euros ($135,300) paid per match,” said Friedhelm Althans, chief investigator for police in the German city of Bochum.

“I’M INNOCENT”

Even when Singapore’s actions become known, there is no guarantee the suspects will face all of the charges in Europe.

Singapore allows suspects to be sent only to countries with which it has an extradition treaty. Germany has such a treaty with Singapore but Italy, which made the original complaint about match-fixers manipulating Italian games, does not.

Extradition also requires “common criminality”, meaning that a suspect must have allegedly done something illegal in Singapore that gives its police the grounds to detain him.

After the German magazine Stern identified the alleged leader of the Singapore syndicate and published a photo of him in mid-2011, the man said it was a case of mistaken identity.

“Why I’m suddenly described as a match-fixer, I don’t know. I’m innocent,” he told The New Paper, a Singapore tabloid.

When Reuters called the phone number of that man, as listed in the Italian court documents, the woman who answered was furious. She denied knowing the suspect or having travelled with him when he went to Italy, as detailed in the court documents.

When Reuters journalists went to the suspect’s condominium complex, a mid-range development of cream-colored tower blocks with a swimming pool in northeastern Singapore, security guards shouted at them and would not let them in.

Another Singaporean listed in the documents said he was in Italy at the time indicated by Italian authorities but denied any knowledge of match-fixing. He initially said he was on holiday with his wife but then said he was on business.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said when asked about the allegations.

A third man identified in the documents confirmed his identity and passport number to Reuters but said he did not think he was in Italy on the dates specified and denied any knowledge of the allegations.

“If the Singaporean police are interested, they’ll come to me,” he said. ($1 = 0.7392 euros)

(Additional reporting by Kevin Lim, Paul Carsten and Jion Chun Teo, editing by Mark Meadows)

Silence on match-fixing probe puts Singapore at risk

Voges ton sees Australia whitewash West Indies

Australia bowled out West Indies for 257 to secure a 17-run victory and a 5-0 whitewash in their one-day international series on Sunday, thanks to a century from stand-in Adam Voges.

The tourists had looked on target to chase down a 275-run target at the MCG when Johnson Charles struck his maiden century to match Voges, who scored a magnificent unbeaten 112.

The West Indian opener struck a boundary to bring up his 100 off 120 balls, including eight fours and a six.

But he fell next ball, caught by Ben Cutting at square leg playing a poor shot to Clint McKay. He had ridden his luck, surviving two dropped catches and two television reviews.

After that wickets fell regularly as the required run rate soared and the West Indies were forced to hit out.

Captain Darren Sammy had a late chance to guide the tourists to the target but he was caught behind by Brad Hadddin off McKay for 23 off 18 balls.

West Indies still needed 18 runs off five balls and it proved too much.

Opener Kieran Powell had been the first to go, caught in the slips by Aaron Finch off paceman Mitchell Johnson for just two.

Darren Bravo managed 33 in a partnership of 106 with Charles before all-rounder James Faulkner held a fine low catch off Xavier Doherty’s finger spin.

Brother Dwayne had made 13 when Johnson clean-bowled him with a late inswinger.

After Charles went, Narsingh Deonarine was out for four, caught Haddin bowled Cutting. Devon Thomas smashed 19 off 18 balls but was run out by Shaun Marsh.

Big-hitting Kieron Pollard holed out for 45, caught by Finch at long on off Faulkner.

Sammy lamented his side’s failure to take chances. “We were right in there — again,” he said. “I think we shot ourselves in the foot. We should have chased down these runs.”

Voges, batting at number five, had earlier steadied the Australian innings after a disastrous start and went on to complete his ton off 98 balls.

The 33-year-old was only drafted into the side on Friday to replace the injured George Bailey, but he played the star role despite being a fringe player in the six years since he made his debut.

Australian captain Shane Watson paid tribute to Voges, saying he “was absolutely amazing, the way he controlled the innings.”

For Voges, it was all about taking his chance.

“I guess you never say never… the great thing is, the selectors have brought me back when I’m playing well,” he said. “You have to make the most of it while it lasts.”

West Indies had the home side at 2 for 2 wickets, but they let Australia off the hook and went for 100 runs in the final 10 overs.

When Voges came in they were three for 63 and a high total looked unlikely with skipper Michael Clarke also on the injured list following more hamstring trouble. But only two more wickets fell.

Voges cracked a six to bring up a 100 partnership with fellow veteran Brad Haddin.

Haddin skied a top edge off Kemar Roach to Kieran Powell in the deep when he had made 43 off 45 balls out of a partnership of 111 with Voges.

Faulkner accompanied Voges through the final overs, adding a quickfire 31 off 24 balls. The pair put on 81 runs from 51 balls.

West Indies had looked in control in the opening stages when Best bowled Watson first ball.

Finch then top-edged a Best bouncer to Narine at fine leg on the boundary in the third over for just one run.

Shaun Marsh, in for Clarke, found the first boundary in the fifth over.

Phillip Hughes patiently built a partnership of 61 with Marsh before Dwayne Bravo had him caught for 29 off 61 balls.

Pollard took the freak leaping catch at backward point, knocking the ball into the air with an outstretched left hand and holding it easily at second bite.

Keeper Devon Thomas snapped up Marsh, who had reached 40 off 58 balls and was looking set at the start of the 25th over. It was Dwayne Bravo’s 150th ODI wicket, the third quickest West Indian to the milestone.

Australia take on the world Twenty20 champions in a T20 format amtch , at the Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday, the final game of the tour.

Voges ton sees Australia whitewash West Indies

Twenty reasons to visit Singapore

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Canberra Times

Travel

Date

February 10, 2013

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Sitting pretty … the infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands. Photo: Reuters

Singapore caters for those craving the arts, fine food and the best retail therapy.

1 Gardens by the Bay

A Flower Dome, Supertrees and Dragonfly Lake … no, it’s not the set of Ridley Scott’s next film but rather Singapore’s freshly minted Gardens by the Bay. Costing about $775 million and spanning 101 hectares, the gardens are a showcase for horticultural artistry. Living plants – all 700,000 of them – aside, the waterfront park features man-made trees stretching 50 metres into the sky with steel trunks and illuminated wire rods for branches. Nightly sound and light shows add to the drama. 18 Marina Gardens Drive, +65 6420 6848, gardensbythebay.com.sg.

Come fly with me … iFly Singapore.

2 In the hood

Born out of a plan to segregate new immigrants in the 19th century, the city’s ethnic neighbourhoods offer a colourful cultural experience. Little India is an endless parade of hole-in-the-wall spice shops and restaurants – it’s also one of the few places in town where you can get a haircut for a couple of dollars. While parts of Chinatown are still rough around the edges, many of the vivid shophouses – some heritage-listed – have been reinvented as hip boutiques, bars and small hotels. And then there’s the fabulously named Kampong Glam, with strong ties to the ethnic Malay and Muslim community. Don’t miss the Istana Kampong Glam (Malay heritage centre).

3 That pool

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Avatar in real life: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

The 101-hectare gardens, situated at the heart of Singapore’s Marine Bay, cost $773 million to build and house over a quarter of a million rare plants. Photo: Reuters

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Marina Bay Sands – one of Singapore’s two integrated resorts – has changed the city’s skyline dramatically since it opened, its towers topped with one of the most gravity-defying architectural edifices in the world: the 57th-floor Sands SkyPark. Here, 200 metres above the ground, hotel guests lounge by a 150-metre-long infinity pool on a platform large enough to accommodate 4½ A380 airliners. If you’re not checked in to one of Marina Bay’s rooms, you can still enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city from the observation deck, open to the public for a fee.

4 Celebrity chef chow-down

Yorkshire-born Jason Atherton – a protege of Gordon Ramsay – is the latest high-profile culinary star to touch down in Singapore. His new restaurant, Pollen, is set in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay (pollen.com.sg). Others already creating foams and flambes around the city include Sydneysider Tetsuya Wakuda, Guy Savoy, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali and Joel Robuchon. Phew! Plus, pukka English chef Jamie Oliver is on his way as well, launching his Italian restaurant chain here this year.

Under the sea … the Marine Life Park.

5 Luxe lodgings

There’s no shortage of design audacity in Singapore – the gargantuan Marina Bay Sands complex broke dozens of architectural records when it opened in 2010. The trio of shimmering towers is home to an astonishing 2560 rooms and suites along with a Banyan Tree spa and boutiques including Jimmy Choo and Tiffany Co. 10 Bayfront Avenue, +65 6688 8868, marinabaysands.com. The city-state’s newest hotel, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, pushes the design boundaries with pimped-up furnishings such as a DJ booth and jacuzzi in the Extreme Wow Suite. 21 Ocean Way, +65 6808 7288, starwoodhotels.com. Still on Sentosa Island, the freshly minted Tree Top Lofts offers just two accommodations, Angsana and Tembusu, perched 12 metres above the ground and with wraparound balconies overlooking the island and Mount Faber. enquiries@rwsentosa.com.

6 Get arty

Singapore’s newest art hub may occupy historic buildings but the Gillman Barracks galleries are as modern as they come. Once used to house a British military battalion, the 1930s buildings have been transformed into a shrine for contemporary art. Among the 13 galleries is Future Perfect, with works from an international roster of up-and-coming talent, and an outpost of the Shangh Art Gallery, one of the key players in the development of China’s modern art movement. Opening soon is the Centre for Contemporary Arts, which will focus on artist residencies, research and conferences. 9 Lock Road, gillmanbarracks.com.

7 Sky-high cocktails

Singapore only knows one season – hot. Forget airconditioned malls and instead cool down at the many, and mostly marvellous, rooftop bars. On level six of the Fullerton Bay Hotel, Lantern’s wicker chairs and oversize candles set the scene for a dramatic laser show at Marina Bay Sands. 80 Collyer Quay, +65 6222 8088, fullertonbayhotel.com. Topping the MBS hotel is Ku De Ta, where the beautiful people enjoy killer views and equally good cocktails. +65 6688 7688, kudeta.com.sg. Loftier still is 1-Altitude, the highest open-rooftop bar in the world, where live music is paired with dazzling vistas from a perch on level 63 of 1 Raffles Place. +65 6438 0410, 1-altitude.com.

8 Boutique beds

From mirrors on the ceiling to pink-satin duvets, Singapore’s boutique hotels offer whimsy and comfort in equal measure. In Chinatown, the New Majestic features 30 individual rooms including five themed suites, one with the aforementioned mirrors. 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, +65 6511 4718, newmajestichotel.com. Nearby, the Scarlet Hotel occupies a row of shophouses decked out with chandeliers, gilded furniture and lashings of velvet. 33 Erskine Road, +65 6511 3333, thescarlethotel.com. Other standouts include The Club – 28 Ann Siang Road, +65 6808 2188, theclub.com.sg – designed almost entirely in black and white, and Wanderlust, where the rooms range from colourful capsule-like spaces to edgy suites decorated with pop art. 2 Dickson Road, +65 6396 3322, wanderlusthotel.com.

9 Sentosa redux

After recently celebrating 40 years as Singapore’s leisure isle, Sentosa is reinventing itself, thanks in part to Resorts World, now home to six hotels, a casino, dozens of restaurants and shops, among other diversions. 8 Sentosa Gateway, +65 6577 9900, rwsentosa.com. Still, in an achingly hot place such as Singapore, you won’t want to stray far from water. With this in mind, lay down a towel on one of Sentosa’s three beaches: Palawan, home to the new Port of Lost Wonder, a pirate-themed water playground, polw.com.sg; Siloso, favoured by sporty types for its volleyball nets; and Tanjong, home to the oh-so-cool Tanjong Beach Club. 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, +65 6270 1355, tanjongbeachclub.com. And forget taxis – the best way to explore the island is on a Segway, with new Gogreen after Dark tours offered on the two-wheel transporters. +65 9825 4066, segway-sentosa.com.

10 Under the sea

The last addition to Resorts World Sentosa’s entertainment offering is the Marine Life Park, the largest oceanarium in the world. It’s home to more than 100,000 aquatic residents, including bottlenose dolphins, jellyfish, rays and non-endangered sharks. The park’s SEA Aquarium lets you get up close and personal with the marine animals through the world’s largest window to the ocean, while those looking to cool off will find respite at Adventure Cove Waterpark with water slides, wave pools and a coral reef for snorkelling.

11 Weird science

Designed to resemble a white lotus, the ArtScience Museum offers a striking architectural contrast to the glass towers that soar above it at Marina Bay Sands. The 6000-square-metre space houses a vast array of galleries, each unique in its layout and concept. One space, for example, encourages visitors to explore the history of art and science; others host exhibitions by leading creative types including New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya, whose show The Art of the Brick (until April 14) unites 52 Lego sculptures. Bayfront Avenue, marinabaysands.com.

12 Bliss out

You could lose yourself for days at the newly opened ESPA at Resorts World Sentosa, home to 28 treatment rooms, suites and villas set over 10,000 square metres of gardens, with pools and ponds and Japanese onsen-style baths. There’s a suite for yoga, pilates and meditation, ice fountains, multi-sensory showers, rock saunas and crystal steam rooms plus Singapore’s most lavish hammam (Turkish bath). Book the Indulgence Hammam Ritual and you’ll be treated to a body cleanse and scrub, foam massage, marine body mask and hair treatment. +65 6577 8899, rwsentosa.com.

13 Time for Andre

Young chef Andre Chiang is a master when it comes to culinary theatrics, and he wows diners at his eponymous establishment in the Bukit Pasoh district of Chinatown. Meals are degustations of eight concept courses – a dining style Chiang dubs “octaphilosophy”, with dishes highlighting food characteristics: pure, salt, artisan, texture, terroir. Regardless of whether you’re eating a scallop carpaccio (one of the “pure” dishes) or foie gras jelly (a “memory” dish conceptualised by Chiang in France), you can be sure it will look as good as it tastes. 41 Bukit Pasoh Road, +65 6534 8880, restaurantandre.com.

14 Retail therapy

Singapore offers shoppers plenty of opportunities to spend their money, from the upscale boutiques in Marina Bay Sands to the intimate shops of Haji Lane and the malls and markets that line Orchard Road. One of the newest kids on the shopping block is ION Orchard, about 400 retail outlets sprawling over numerous levels and underground passages. Still, the mall is not all about consumerism – it’s also home to an art gallery and an observation deck, ION Sky, set 218 metres above the ground. Serious shoppers will want to time their visit to coincide with the Great Singapore Sale (May 31 to July 28), which features two months of discounts and bargains. 2 Orchard Turn, +65 6238 8228, ionorchard.com.

15 A new beat

Singapore punches well above its weight when it comes to world-class clubs. And party people have two new spaces in which to bump and grind with the recent opening of venues Avalon and Pangaea Nights, set side by side in a glass pavilion on Singapore Bay and with illustrious older sister clubs (Pangaea in London, New York and Miami; Avalon in Hollywood). Look forward to bottles of top-shelf spirits, international DJs and celebrities galore. 2 Bayfront Avenue; Pangaea +65 6597 8325, pangaea.sg. Avalon +65 8168 4439, avalon.sg.

16 Come fly with me

Those looking for a high-octane adventure will want to make a beeline for iFly, the world’s largest indoor skydiving simulator and home of the World Skydiving Championships in December. There’s no jumping, no plunging, no bad weather and no aeroplane. Instead, you tumble, turn and glide in an 18-metre-high wind tunnel, which comes with a glass wall so that when you’re airborne you’ll feel like you’re drifting over the South China Sea. 43 Siloso Beach Walk, +65 6571 0000, iflysingapore.com.

17 Universal appeal

The Universal Studios theme park is the first of its kind in south-east Asia. Although it’s petite by international standards, the park draws crowds with its headlining attractions: Battlestar Galactica, the world’s tallest pair of duelling roller coasters, and the 3D Transformers The Ride. Young visitors can look forward to the Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase ride, opening soon alongside live Sesame Street shows.

18 Step up your stopover

Singapore’s Changi Airport is an attraction in its own right. Among other draws, the terminals are home to interactive art and science spaces, the world’s highest indoor slide, five gardens including one dedicated to butterflies, a 4D cinema and an Entertainment Deck with Xbox 360 and PlayStation terminals. With so much to keep you on your feet, the complimentary massage chairs and rooftop pool provide welcome relief. If you do manage to tick off every attraction and have a layover of more than five hours, book a free two-hour city tour. changiairport.com.

19 Cheap eats

From savoury carrot cake to Hainan chicken rice and knock-your-socks-off curries, Singapore’s hawker centres are cheap, cheerful and unforgettable. A melting pot of ethnic diversity, the many centres – Maxwell Road, Newton and Lau Pa Sat are reliably good – are always buzzing with locals swarming around stalls selling steaming bowls of noodles and ocean-fresh seafood. Fans chug overhead, plastic plates clatter, Tiger beer bottles clink and fizz – now that’s fine dining.

20 The need for speed

Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are among the big-name drivers in town every year for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix (September 20-22). Even if you’re not into fast cars, it’s hard to resist the allure of this race in Singapore, one of two cities to host the event at night. When tyres aren’t screeching around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, international musicians and fireworks displays entertain crowds. The best bit? The circuit weaves past many of the city-state’s top hotels. Book early to ensure a room with a view. +65 6738 6738, singaporegp.sg.

Related Coverage

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Avatar in real life: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

Stepping into Singapore’s new mega-project, the Gardens by the Bay, is like stepping to Pandora, the beautiful fictional world created for James Cameron’s hit film Avatar.