London - Three men appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiracy and criminal damage in connection with an alleged attempt to fix a Premiership football match by sabotaging floodlights. Mr Chee Kew Ong (49), a manager from Paddington, West London; Mr Wai Yuen Liu (37), a car salesman from Kensington, West London, and Mr Eng Hwa Lim (35), an electronic engineer also from Paddington, were all remanded in custody until February 19th at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court, London.
The men were arrested by officers from Scotland Yard's Organised Crime Squad near Charlton Athletic's home ground in south-east London on Wednesday. It emerged yesterday that Scotland Yard detectives were investigating the power failure at a Wimbledon versus Arsenal match at Selhurst Park in 1997, which followed previous problems at Derby and West Ham in the same season. In a separate development the soccer world governing body, FIFA, has cleared the Football Associations of England and Wales of any incorrect or improper behaviour in the "cash-for-votes" affair, which led to the departure of the FA chief executive.