SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Friday (March 18) introduced it has lifted lifetime bans on former nationwide participant Okay. Kannan and referee Thiru Rajamanickam.
In a media assertion, FAS stated its council got here to the choice after receiving written appeals from the 2 in 2021, and that their bans had been lifted on Tuesday.
Rajamanickam was banned in 1994 and Kannan a yr later, each for actions associated to match-fixing.
FAS President Lim Kia Tong stated: “In reviewing the 2 appeals, the council had deliberated extensively on the problems and key components surrounding each circumstances.
“This determination… doesn’t symbolize a softening stance on soccer corruption by the FAS. We stay steadfast in our unwavering stand that the scourge of corruption has no place in soccer and won’t be tolerated in any type.
“Any player or official found guilty of such an offence can expect to be dealt with to the full extent of the FAS Constitution.”
Lim famous that each Kannan, 60, and Rajamanickam, 70, had their appeals to raise their bans “rejected a few times”, which demonstrated the robust stand FAS has taken in opposition to match-fixing and corruption.
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Kannan was slapped with a lifetime ban from soccer actions in 1995 after he was convicted of conspiring with two different people to bribe a Singapore participant with $80,000 in a match in opposition to Perlis in a Malaysia League match in May 1994.
He was sentenced to a yr in jail and fined $40,000 for the joint conspiracy cost, and to 18 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a penalty of $5,000 for corruptly receiving gratification.
Rajamanickam, a former Fifa referee, was handed his lifetime ban from all soccer actions and was deregistered from the FAS referees’ listing in 1994 after he was sentenced to eight months’ jail and fined $1,000 for accepting $1,000 as a bribe from a bookmaker.
Rajamanickam was to rearrange for the appointed Malaysian referee to be lenient to the Singapore workforce in a Malaysia League match with Kelantan in April 1994.
Kannan stated: “My household and I want to specific our gratitude to my legal professionals at Eugene Thuraisingam LLP and Jose Raymond for serving to me in my enchantment.
“They have been sympathetic and went out of their means to assist me. I’ll all the time be grateful to everybody for his or her assist, even in my darkest hours.
“Football has always been my life, and I will do whatever I can to contribute back to society in a meaningful way.”
