Kelong duo fail to show for trial

PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

There was talk that the duo accused of match fixing had skipped bail and left Singapore.

And as bailor Sumit Singh sat outside the Subordinate Courts at around 9am yesterday, cutting a forlorn figure, Thanasegar S. Sinnaiah and Shokri Nor indeed failed to show up for their pre-trial hearing.

Former Malaysian national player Thanasegar, 38, and part-time referee and Penang-based police officer Shokri, 47, were accused of conspiring to rig the result of Singapore’s LionsXII’s Malaysian Super League (MSL) match against Sarawak FA at Jalan Besar Stadium on May 22.

The duo were charged two days later with engaging in a conspiracy, with the scheduled match referee Shokri agreeing to receive RM15,000 (S$6,300) in bribes to fix the result of the match.

Mr Singh stands to lose the $100,000 that was put up for their bail as the whereabouts of the duo are unknown.