Former Crystal Palace, Sutton United and Carshalton Athletic players were bribed to take part in a match-fixing scam, a court heard.

Croydon men Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun are accused along with Bermondsey man Moses Swaibu of taking bribes from far eastern businessmen to fix non-league matches in November last year.

The trio are on trial alongside businessmen Chann Sankaran and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan at Birmingham Crown Court.

Your Local Guardian: Hakeem Adelakun playing for Carshalton Athletic

Hakeem Adelakun playing for Carshalton Athletic

Mr Boateng, 22, started his footballing career with Crystal Palace before playing for both Sutton United and Carshalton Athletic.

Mr Adelakun, 22, also began his career with Palace and was a regular for Carshalton Athletic last season.

And Mr Swaibu played with the pair for Brighton-based Whitehawk FC last year.

The three men are all charged with bribery while Mr Sankaran and Mr Ganeshan are charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.

Your Local Guardian: Michael Boateng playing for Sutton United

Michael Boateng playing for Sutton United

In the first day of the trial yesterday, the court heard the three players worked with the businessmen to affect the results of games in the Conference South - the league in which they played - in order to secure betting returns.

Mr Boateng, of Davidson Road, Croydon, and Mr Adelakun, of Mayfield Crescent, Thornton Heath, received £367, while Swaibu was paid £2,446, the court heard.

The alleged offences were revealed in an investigation by the National Crime Agency.
All five men deny the charges.

The trial continues.