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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider PBA to launch own probe on game-fixing allegations involving Singaporean businessman

PBA to launch own probe on game-fixing allegations involving Singaporean businessman

Published Apr 22, 2023 09:35 am
The PBA is set to launch its own probe after some of its teams and players got dragged into a graft case against a Singaporean businessman who allegedly tried to influence the results of basketball games in the PBA and the Thailand basketball League.

*The name of Magnolia big man Ian Sangalang was dragged into game-fixing allegation involving Singaporean businessman, according to a report published by Singaporean broadsheet The Straits Times. (PBA Images)

*


A [news report from Singaporean broadsheet The Straits Times](https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/singaporean-charged-over-alleged-bribes-offered-to-fix-basketball-matches-in-thailand-philippines) broke out on Saturday, April 22, saying that a certain Koa Wei Quan – a Singaporean businessman - is facing 14 counts of graft charges for allegedly offering bribes to players to fix games from April to July 2018. Mentioned in the report was the name Magnolia big man Ian Sangalang while unnamed players from PBA team Blackwater Elite were also allegedly involved. “We will investigate. Iimbestigahan namin iyan, titingnan namin. Kailangan talaga natin diyan mga konkretong ebidensya at mga dokumento. Kakausapin natin, magiging mahabang imbestigasyon iyan,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial. According to the report, Koa allegedly worked with former PBA player Leo Avenido and a certain Sergei Bien Orillo to allegedly reach out to Sangalang and offer him $5,000 to lose Magnolia’s match against San Miguel by nine or more points during Game 5 of the 2018 Philippine Cup Finals. The game turned out to have ended in the exact margin as the Hotshots lost, 108-99, in double-overtime with Sangalang finishing with 11 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block while also committing eight turnovers. The report also mentioned that Koa, through Orillo and Avenido, also allegedly reached out to some undisclosed members of Blackwater, who were also offered a P525,000 bribe to either drop the game against the then Columbian Dyip (now Terrafirma) or win by a four-point margin or less. The incident also happened again around April 25 when Koa and company once again allegedly offered a bribe of P1.5 million to unnamed Blackwater players, this time, to win its game against Phoenix by an unspecified margin. Blackwater lost in both games as it finished the conference with a measly 1-10 record. Also dragged into the controversy was Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 team member and TNT 3x3’s Almond Vosotros, who was allegedly offered a total of US $3,700 to fix games in the Thailand league. Koa’s case has been adjourned and if convicted of graft, he can be jailed up to five years on top of a hefty fine.

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