Lawyers try to show linesman 'unreliable'

Lawyers try to show linesman 'unreliable'

Defence lawyers on Friday sought to prove that a statement given by Lebanese linesman Abdallah Taleb to Singapore authorities was "inaccurate and unreliable".

This, as the trial of alleged match-fixer Eric Ding Si Yang took another turn yesterday, with the defence producing statements given by two deported Lebanese officials including Mr Taleb, 37, to their lawyer in Beirut, Lebanon.

The two new statements, obtained earlier this week, supposedly contradict claims in their statements to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) when they were arrested in April.

Linesmen Taleb and Ali Eid, 33, were sent home after completing their three-month jail terms.

Although they said they would return to testify against Ding, a businessman, they declined to show up. This prompted an ancillary hearing, where District Judge Toh Yung Cheong ruled that their statements were admissible.

Ding, 31, is on trial for allegedly bribing the linesmen and referee Ali Sabbagh, 34, with prostitutes in return for fixing a match. Mr Sabbagh testified against Ding while serving his six-month jail term. He was deported after serving his sentence.

If convicted, Ding faces up to five years in jail, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.

Defence lawyer Yusfiyanti Yatiman suggested Mr Taleb might not have been in the right frame of mind when he was questioned by the CPIB, as he was on the medication Atarax.

CPIB special investigator Chan Jian Yun said he was told by an Arabic interpreter that Mr Taleb was taking the drug for "itchiness", but Mr Taleb had not asked for it during the 10-hour questioning.

When Mr Yusfiyanti asked if he knew Atarax was also used "as a sedative" and could "impair a person's thinking", Mr Chan said no.

Mr Yusfiyanti also highlighted areas where CPIB protocol might have been flouted in the recording of the statement. For example, it was printed out before it was fully recorded, and the answer to the final question was handwritten.

Mr Chan said the interpreter had to help his colleague for a short while and he had thought this would be more convenient and would shorten the process.

Mr Yusfiyanti also pointed out that only one interpreter was used for the three Lebanese officials.

Next, he drew parallels between the statement Mr Taleb gave to his Lebanese lawyer and his CPIB statement. Based on the former, Mr Taleb said Ding was "a guide" who showed him around Singapore and they had not talked about fixing any matches. The supposed prostitutes were allegedly engaged for "physiotherapy".

Mr Taleb told the CPIB: "I wanted her to massage me, but after a while I realised she did not know how to massage."

He had also said gifts were accepted only because it was Arabic culture to accept gifts from hosts.

The cross-examination of Mr Chan continues on Monday.


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