A football player, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistracy for offering a bribe to another footballer for his assistance in fixing a match.

The defendant, 27, a former player of a football club (Club A), earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Anthony Kwok Kai-on said having taken into account precedents, a custodial sentence was appropriate for the defendant.

The magistrate also said the defendant had brought discredit upon the football sport, and that a jail term could serve as a deterrent to other players.

The starting point of 15 months was reduced to 10 months, taking into account the defendant's guilty plea and remorsefulness, the magistrate added.

The court heard that at the time of the offence, the defendant was a football player of Club A, which was one of the football teams participating in the First Division Football League organised by the Hong Kong Football Association. Another football club (Club B) was another team of the league.

Prior to joining Club A, the defendant was a football player of Club B. At that time, a Cameroon football player was his teammate.

The court heard in the morning of October 3, 2009, the defendant visited the Cameroon football player at the latter's quarters.

The defendant requested the Cameroon football player to deliberately lose the match between Club A and Club B in that afternoon.

The defendant inputted a few sentences in Chinese into a portable computer for translation into French, the mother tongue of the Cameroon football player, so that he understood his request.

The defendant then asked the Cameroon football player the amount of money he wanted. But the Cameroon football player turned down his request.

In the match, the defendant and the Cameroon football player were players. Eventually, Club A lost to Club B by 0:2.

The defendant was arrested on May 5, 2010. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted the offence, the court was told.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Eddie Sean, assisted by ICAC officers Torres Leung and Sarah Wong.