A Chinese syndicate and its Maltese intermediary are the masterminds behind match fixing in domestic leagues, according to a former president of a top-flight club.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the former official told The Sunday Times of Malta the network of corruption included certain club officials, players and well known criminals. He described a system where gamblers placed their money with a handful of match fixers linked to clubs, who then hooked up with the Maltese intermediary with contacts in China. The source did not divulge the name of the intermediary to this newspaper but insisted he was involved with a top-flight club.

“The intermediary deals with the Chinese syndicate that uses betting companies in South East Asia to place the bets,” the source said, adding the intermediary received compensation even if the result was not favourable. Thousands of euros are played in this way and the winnings are lucrative enough to ensure players are paid handsomely for ‘mistakes' made during the game, he added.
 
The source said match fixers had key players in every team. Players were sometimes asked to put up a €5,000 guarantee as a sign of goodwill when they agreed to cooperate.

More in The Sunday Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.