The Shilin District Court today sentenced 10 former players for the Yulon Luxgen Dinos of the semi-professional Super Basketball League (SBL), a former coach and four online bookies for match fixing, handing out sentences of up to seven years.
After their investigation concluded in February of last year, prosecutors indicted the 15 people for contravening the Sports Lottery Issuance Act (運動彩券發行條例) and Criminal Code on suspicion of shaving points to win bets.
The players used various match-fixing tactics in games from Dec. 27, 2022, to May 21, 2023, including dribbling out of bounds, refusing to pass and making bad passes, prosecutors said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
They were charged for colluding in a group of three or more to manipulate sporting events tied to betting, gambling, providing a venue for gambling for profit and aggravated fraud, they added.
Prosecutors said they requested confiscation of the group’s illicit gains, estimated to exceed NT$20 million (US$641,197).
Former player Ko Min-hao (柯旻豪) personally made about NT$470,000 from the scheme, they said.
All of the rulings may be appealed.
Ko was given a seven-year sentence, while follow player Wu Yu-jen (吳祐任) received four years and 10 months, Yen Wen-tso (顏聞佐) was given five years and Chiu Chung-po (邱忠博) was sentenced to three years and four months.
Players Chou Wei-chen (周暐宸) and Huang Hsuan-min (黃鉉閔) each received four years and nine months, Chen Pin-chuan (陳品銓) received four years and four months and Lee Chi-en (李其恩) was handed one year and eight months with four years of probation, they said.
Senegalese national Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Sarr was also sentenced to five years and two months, they said.
Former Dinos assistant coach Chiu Chi-wei (邱繼緯), an underground betting Web site bookie, and four others, surnamed Huang (黃), Chang (張), Yu (游) and Chiu (邱), were handed sentences ranging from eight months to two years, although all except Chiu Chi-wei were granted suspended sentences, they added.
A warrant was previously issued for former Dinos player Weng Chia-hung (翁嘉鴻), who failed to appear for sentencing today.
The court has now listed him as wanted.
Additional reporting by Liu Yung-yin
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