FAS lifts ban on Kannan Kunjiraman and Thiru Rajamanickam

SINGAPORE, 18 MARCH 2022 – The Council of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has decided to lift the lifetime bans on Kannan Kunjiraman and Thiru Rajamanickam respectively after receiving their written appeals in 2021.

An ex-Singapore international, Kannan was banned in 1995 from football activities after he was convicted of conspiring with two other individuals to bribe a Singapore player with S$80,000 in a match against Perlis in the FAM Premier League match held on 13^th May 1994. He was sentenced to a year in jail and fined $40,000 for the joint conspiracy charge, and to 18 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a penalty of $5,000 for corruptly receiving gratification.

Rajamanickam, a former FIFA referee, was handed his lifetime ban from all football activities and was deregistered from the FAS referees’ list in 1994 after he was sentenced to eight months’ jail and fined $1,000 for accepting $1,000 as a bribe from a soccer bookmaker. Rajamanickam was to arrange for the appointed Malaysian referee to be lenient to the Singapore team in a match with Kelantan on 5^th April 1994.

The Council adhered strictly to the criteria and requirements of the FAS Constitution namely the circumstances including the nature and extent of the violation, the punishment meted out by the court and the character and the contributions of Kannan and Rajamanickam and having thoroughly considered them decided to lift the suspensions imposed on Kannan and Rajamanickam from ​15^th March 2022. The Council has, inter alia, noted that in both cases, Kannan and Rajamanickam each had already served well over 26 years of suspension, on top of their respective court-imposed sentences including jail terms which they had also served.  Both individuals have also kept clean records since.

Kannan and Rajamanickam are also required to carry out programmes and activities, in person or virtually or via publication to support anti-corruption drives and engagements within six months of their bans being lifted.

FAS President Lim Kia Tong said: “In reviewing the two appeals, the Council had deliberated extensively on the issues and key factors surrounding both cases.

“This decision by the Council to lift the two bans does not represent a softening stance on football corruption by the FAS. We remain steadfast in our unwavering stand that the scourge of corruption has no place in football and will not be tolerated in any form. Any player or official found guilty of such an offence can expect to be dealt with to the full extent of the FAS Constitution. Kannan and Rajamanickam had their appeals for the lifting of the bans rejected a few times and that demonstrated the strong stand that FAS took, is taking and will continue to take against match fixing and football corruption. Football enjoys a huge following in Singapore, attracting fans from every stratum of society. Public interest therefore requires that the integrity of the game shall be maintained. “

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE