Minister of Home Affairs issues Detention Order on alleged match-fixer Dan Tan

Minister of Home Affairs issues Detention Order on alleged match-fixer Dan Tan

The Minister for Home Affairs has issued a Detention Order on alleged match-fixer Dan Tan Seet Eng on Saturday, Dec 5, for his involvement in global football match-fixing, said The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement.

On Nov 25, the Court of Appeal accepted that Detention Orders can be issued under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA) for match-fixing activities. Match-fixing activities were specifically considered by Parliament in Nov 2013 when the CLTPA was debated and extended till October 2019.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the grounds of detantion "must, on the face of it, show that the activities have a bearing on public safety, peace and good order in Singapore, and were considered serious by the Minister".

The Detention Order which had been issued by the CLTPA earlier on Oct 2, 2013, against Dan Tan had to be set aside because the Court of Appeal ruled that the grounds stated back then were defective.

The Order in 2013, in the Court of Appeal's view, did not "expressly show that Dan Tan's activities had a bearing on the public safety, peace and good order within Singapore'".

MHA said: "The new Detention Order issued on Saturday against Dan Tan, expressly sets out the grounds which show the extent of Dan Tan's match-fixing activities from and within Singapore, and why this necessitates the issuance of a Detention Order under the CLTPA.

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"The grounds set out the seriousness of Dan Tan's criminal activities over many years, their impact on public safety, peace and good order within Singapore, and the fact that he has intimidated witnesses to the extent that they continue to be unwilling to testify against him for fear of reprisal."

MHA has obtained the consent of the Public Prosecutor in issuing the new Detention Order against Dan Tan.

51-year-old Dan Tan - described by Interpol as "the leader of the world's most notorious match-fixing syndicate" - was detained under the CLTPA without trial for two years before he was released last week.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg

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