Lazers’ Chueden One of Four Players Accused of Accepting Bribes

Chris Chueden of the Lazers is one of four soccer players charged with accepting bribes while playing with the Canadian national team during an international soccer tournament.

Paul James, who also played on the national team, will not be charged but will be called as a Crown witness to testify against his former teammates, according to Inspector Claude Lemay of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The four have been charged with conspiracy to accept a bribe to fix the outcome of games at the Merlion Cup tournament in August and September 1986 at Singapore.

Charged with Chueden are David Norman, 25, of Coquitlam, British Columbia; Hector Marinaro, 23, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Igor Vrablic, 22, of Waterloo, Ontario.

The Lazers issued a release Wednesday saying that Chueden, of Surrey, British Columbia, will be in uniform for the Lazers’ Major Indoor Soccer League opener Saturday afternoon against the Tacoma Stars and will remain with the team pending resolution of the matter. Chueden was unavailable for comment.

The four are scheduled to appear in provincial court in Ottawa Dec. 16, after which Commissioner Bill Kentling will decide on Chueden’s MISL status.