Malaysian national linked to match-fixing scandal in Australia

CANBERRA - A Malaysian national is an alleged "big-wig" of a 2 million AU dollar ($1.84 million) match-fixing scandal involving a Victorian soccer club, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported on Monday.

Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam allegedly received instructions from Hungary and Malaysia on what the results of Southern Stars soccer matches should be, the Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard on Monday.

One of those instructions was for the Victorian Premier League team to lose a match 4-0, the court heard.

Gsubramaniam is accused of passing the information onto the team's coach and some players.

Six people have so far been charged following a police investigation.

The investigation of the scandal, the biggest match-fixing case in the country's history, began in August, following information from the Football Federation of Australia about alleged match fixing in soccer games being played in the Victorian Premier League.

However, Southern Stars Secretary Tony Kiranci said the club was "shocked" by the match-fixing allegations and was fully cooperating with authorities.

"No one from the committee is involved in any way," Kiranci said in a statement. "The club is run by honest hard-working volunteers."

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has renewed calls for anti-match-fixing laws in the wake of the scandal.

He said his 2011 legislation, which was rejected by both the major parties, provided a broader framework for tackling match fixing.

"What's clear from the February 2013 Australian Crime Commission report and recent events is that urgent reform is needed to tackle this cancer on Australian sport," Xenophon said in a statement on Monday.

Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott said sport should be clean and fair and he will have his incoming minister seek an urgent briefing on match-fixing.

"And if there's anything the government should do, we'll do it, " he said at the press conference on Monday.

Gsubramaniam's bail hearing was adjourned until Friday.

He's facing 10 charges, including five counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or could corrupt the outcome of a betting event and five charges of facilitating conduct that corrupts or could corrupt the outcome of a betting event.

The team's goalkeeper, Joe Nigel Wooley, 23, a UK citizen currently residing in Preston, player Reiss Michael Noel, 24, currently residing in Preston, and another ?three men, including the team's 36-year-old coach from Wantirna South, were bailed on charges to face court on Friday.