Former Football Star Spared Jail For Match Fixing

Former footballer of the year Lee Wai-lim has been spared from a prison sentence despite pleading guilty to the charge of match fixing, and pocketing HK$10,000 in 2016.

The District Court instead sentenced him to 180 hours of community service, with the judge explaining that he exercised his discretion to impose a non-custodial sentence because the former Pegasus player had been remanded in jail for six months, and the case had dragged on for over 18 months.

Judge Edmond Lee also noted that the 36-year-old had received positive reports from probation officers.

He said such a serious crime usually merits a prison term of up to one-and-a-half years. He added that the case has 'ruined' Hong Kong football, as well as the SAR's reputation as a clean city.

Lee was one of five footballers embroiled in a match-fixing scandal that the ICAC said involved bribes totalling HK$60,000.

His co-defendants Kwok Kin-pong, Michael Cheng, Chan Pak-hang and Lee Ka-ho were acquitted last month after the judge cast doubt on the testimony of a key witness.