UAE FA kick two players out of national camp with heavy fines for misconduct
The United Arab Emirates Football Association has suspended defender Khalid Al-Dhanhani and forward Sultan Adel for five domestic matches and fined each player 500,000 AED ($136,132.21) on Sunday for misconduct during a national team training camp.
The players have left the camp with immediate effect due to a violation of disciplinary rules and will not travel with the squad to Kyrgyzstan for Tuesday's final third round match of Asia's World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
"The disciplinary committee of the UAE Football Association has decided to suspend Sharjah player Khalid Al-Dhanhani and Shabab Al-Ahli player Sultan Adil for five domestic matches, and to impose a fine of Dh500,000 on each," the UAE FA said in a statement on Sunday.
"They have also been removed from the senior national team list after committing a violation inside the national team training camp on June 7."
With Iran and Uzbekistan qualifying for the World Cup after securing the top two spots in Group A, UAE will move into the fourth round of Asian qualifying along with Qatar, with the two Gulf teams set to finish third or fourth.
In this round, group winners will earn direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while runners-up will proceed to the fifth round for another shot at reaching the finals. REUTERS
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Straits Times
4 hours ago
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Singapore Law Watch
5 hours ago
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She said: 'Based on the clear and undisputed medical evidence before this court, the accused suffers from advanced multiple myeloma (an incurable cancer of plasma cells), and a sentence of imprisonment would carry a high and increased risk of endangering his life.' Judicial mercy is the discretionary power Singapore's courts have to give a more lenient sentence because of exceptional mitigating circumstances. Judge Lee noted the offences committed by Ong in this case were undoubtedly serious, as the charge he admitted to involved conduct likely to obstruct the course of justice. Ong's second charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts was taken into consideration during sentencing. Had Ong's medical condition been absent, the appropriate sentence would have been three months' jail, Judge Lee said. The prosecution had earlier acknowledged that while eight weeks' imprisonment would ordinarily be warranted in this case, it did not object to a fine for Ong as jail time would result in an increased risk of endangering his life. Ong's lawyer, Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, had argued that his client's medical condition had destroyed parts of bone in his skeletal system. Ong was diagnosed with advanced multiple myeloma in 2020. Imprisoning him would thus dramatically increase life-threatening risks for him, said Mr Bull. On Aug 15, Ong arrived at the State Courts flanked by his lawyers and security team. It sparked a media frenzy, but Ong did not speak to reporters as he walked towards the entrance of the building. The hearing began at around 2.30pm and ended in 30 minutes, after which Ong was seen signing what appeared to be a cheque book. He left the State Courts at around 3.25pm without speaking to the media. Those convicted of abetment of obstruction of justice can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the district court can impose a maximum fine of $30,000 for the offence. The offence In December 2022, Ong, credited with bringing Formula 1 racing to Singapore, asked Mr Iswaran if the then minister would like to join him on a trip to Qatar to watch the World Cup. Ong told Mr Iswaran he would be his guest, travelling on his private jet. The businessman added that he would take care of all of Mr Iswaran's expenses for the trip, including his hotel accommodation. Mr Iswaran accepted the offer. On Dec 10, 2022, he travelled to Doha, Qatar, on Ong's private jet, with the flight valued at around US$7,700 (S$10,410.40, as stated in court documents). Mr Iswaran checked into the Four Seasons Hotel, which cost $4,737.63 for a one-night stay. After one night in Doha, he returned to Singapore on a business-class flight valued at $5,700. Singapore GP – which Ong was the majority shareholder of – paid for the hotel stay and flight. How Ong's actions came to light In May 2023, while the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was investigating a separate matter relating to Ong's associates, it came across the flight manifest of the outbound flight on Ong's private jet that Mr Iswaran took to Doha. On May 18, Ong was informed by his associates that CPIB had seized the flight manifest that had details of the Doha trip. Ong told Mr Iswaran about this over the phone. Mr Iswaran asked Ong to have Singapore GP bill him for the Doha trip, including the flight to Singapore on Dec 11, 2022. Ong agreed and had Singapore GP director Mok Chee Liang arrange the payment, and told Mr Mok to keep proper records of this. On May 24, 2023, Mr Mok e-mailed Mr Iswaran's personal assistant with an invoice for the flight from Doha to Singapore. Mr Iswaran then issued a cheque for $5,700 to Singapore GP, which the prosecution said had a tendency to obstruct the course of justice, as it made it less likely that he would be investigated by CPIB in relation to the Doha trip. The prosecution said Ong also knew that Mr Iswaran's act of paying for the flight from Doha to Singapore was likely to obstruct the course of justice. On Oct 3, 2024, Mr Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months' jail after he pleaded guilty to five charges, including four over obtaining valuable items as a public servant. Health conditions Ong's lawyers said he suffered from a 'devastating cocktail of medical problems'. These include: Advanced multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects white blood cells, which are crucial to the body's immune response. Ong was diagnosed in 2020. A hollowed-out spinal vertebrae caused by the cancer. A radiology photo of this was shown to the court. A metal rod inserted in the spine, which could become infected. 'Intractable and relentless' diarrhoea, which puts him at risk of hypotension and acute kidney injury. Peripheral vascular disease of both feet, with a non-healing toe wound that places him at risk of infection and gangrene. Risk of falls that could result in permanent disability or life-threatening injury. Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Tycoon Ong Beng Seng would have been jailed for abetting the obstruction of justice in the case linked to former transport minister S. Iswaran, were it not for his medical condition. As Ong, 79, suffers from advanced multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, imprisonment would risk endangering his life. So, on Aug 15, the court exercised judicial mercy and Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng handed him a fine of $30,000 which is the maximum the district court could impose for the offence. Here are the key points of her judgment. Should have been jailed Ong had abetted the obstruction of justice by Mr S. Iswaran in making payment of $5,700 for a business flight ticket for a Dec 11, 2022, flight from Doha to Singapore. This was done after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau had seized a flight manifest for Ong's private jet. Judge Lee said this was undoubtedly serious. Ong's other charge, which was taken into consideration for sentencing, was for abetting Mr Iswaran, who was then a public servant, in obtaining gifts. These included a flight on Ong's private plane from Singapore to Doha worth about $10,400, a one-night stay in Four Seasons Hotel Doha worth about $4,700, and the $5,700 business class flight from Doha to Singapore. This offence also warranted condemnation, said Judge Lee, and ran the risk of damaging the trust and integrity of public institutions. The prosecution and defence had agreed that were it not for Ong's ill health, he should have been jailed. The judge noted that in Mr Iswaran's case, the High Court had found the appropriate starting sentence for the related obstruction of justice charge to be 18 weeks. But because Mr Iswaran had been the one to ask for the bill, Ong's culpability was lower. Judge Lee found the appropriate starting sentence would have been 15 weeks' jail. The prosecution previously submitted that, were it not for his ill health, 12 weeks' jail would have been appropriate if Ong had claimed trial, with a reduction to eight weeks' jail for an early plea of guilt. Character and contributions Judge Lee had also considered Ong's character and contributions to Singapore that were raised by the defence. The founder of Singapore-based organisation Hotel Properties Limited is known to have brought in Formula One (F1) to Singapore in 2008. The judge said his character and contributions, however significant, were at best a neutral factor in sentencing. She said they provided no basis for any reduction in sentence. 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Judicial mercy The crux of her judgment was on how Ong's medical condition would affect the appropriate sentence, and whether judicial mercy should be exercised in this case. She noted it would be insufficient for an offender to merely show he was ill, and two things needed to be determined. The first was whether imprisonment would carry a high risk of endangering his life. The second was whether that risk would be significantly enhanced in prison. She concluded that the medical evidence showed that imprisonment would carry a high risk of endangering Ong's life, given his serious medical conditions. In particular, she noted his incurable cancer, vulnerability to infections and susceptibility to falls. She said: 'The risk of infections would increase significantly due to unavoidable interactions with rotating shifts of prison officers and medical staff, thereby expanding his exposure to potential pathogens. 'The risk of falls would likewise be significantly heightened, as the accused would face disorientation in an unfamiliar environment and different routines, without the assistance of his usual caregivers, who understand his specific needs.' Judge Lee said that while the Singapore Prison Service had an adequate healthcare system to manage inmates, this did not address the enhanced risks of potentially fatal infections and falls. In the event of an incident, his survival cannot be guaranteed, she noted. She said: 'I am satisfied that the circumstances in this case are exceptional and meet the high threshold for the grant of judicial mercy.' Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Former Hong Kong lawmaker says Australian asylum grant shows territory infringed rights, World News
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