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2 Hungarians convicted of attempted match-fixing

By WTOP Staff

PABLO GORONDI
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — An investigation by Hungarian authorities into corruption in football has led to its first convictions, while the trial continued on Friday of a Singaporean businessman accused of being the head of a global match-rigging syndicate.

A Hungarian player and a former referee have been found guilty of trying to fix a local under-19 match in 2010. Their convictions are the first since inquiries that have led to some 50 people being charged got underway in 2009.

According to Thursday’s decision by a Budapest court, Csaba Ponczok, playing for Videoton-Puskas Akademia, tried to bribe the goalkeeper of visiting Ferencvaros to allow at least four goals. The goalkeeper later reported the match-fixing attempt, while the home team won 1-0.

Janos Csak, a former referee, was fined 450,000 forints ($1,850) for his involvement in the bribery attempt.

Csak is also a defendant in another match-fixing case in Hungary, where the main defendant of 12 on trial is Tan Seet Eng, a Singaporean also known as Dan Tan, the alleged head of a crime syndicate suspected of rigging matches across the world. The case got underway in January.

Eng is being tried in absentia and will present his testimony to the court in writing, his Hungarian lawyer Peter Zamecsnik said Friday.

Prosecutors said they believe the current case is the first football corruption trial in which Eng, who was arrested last year in Singapore along with several others believed to be involved in match-fixing, is a defendant.

The other defendants in the trial include Hungarian players, coaches and referees.

Testifying at Friday’s court session was Wilson Raj Perumal, also from Singapore and a former member of Eng’s syndicate. He was arrested in Finland in 2011, served a year in prison after a match-fixing conviction and was later extradited to Hungary, where he now lives.

He has provided information about match-fixing activities in several countries and is a witness for the prosecution.

Perumal, speaking through an interpreter, was asked by the judge to explain the basics of the syndicate’s operations but the attempt was mostly thwarted by confusion over betting terminology and the lack of a projector to show the court a diagram of match-fixing schemes.

One of the matches drawing attention from the judge on Friday was a Dec. 2010 under-20 friendly match between Argentina and Bolivia. Hungarian referee Kolos Lengyel, after disallowing an apparently valid Argentina goal in the 76th minute, gave Argentina a penalty kick over 12 minutes into injury time. The hosts converted the penalty, winning 1-0.

Lengyel is also a witness for the prosecution and is expected to testify next week.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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