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Soccer fix scandal embroils 3 top figures
By Angela Xu |
September 13, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
POLICE have started investigating Xie Yalong, the former vice chairman of the scandal-plagued Chinese Football Association, on suspicion of bribery and match fixing, the Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday.
Wei Shaohui, a former leader of the national soccer team, and Li Dongsheng, former director of the association's referee commission, are also under investigation.
The investigation is part of a widening probe into gambling and match-fixing, the ministry.
The move is the latest in a push to rid China's soccer game of the taint of cheating and raise the level of play.
The investigation has so far netted more than a dozen players and officials, including Nan Yong, the association's former top official who replaced Xie in 2009. They were arrested on suspicion of bribing or threatening players and referees to determine the outcome of games they had bet on.
Football is widely popular in China, even though the men's national team is ranked No. 97 in the world.
Police and prosecutors collected a number of tips and clues indicating that Xie, Li and Wei might be involved in bribery and gambling, the ministry said.
The police then opened an investigation with the cooperation of the General Administration of Sport of China, it said.
The ministry released no details about the possible illegalities the trio were involved in.
The three were taken into custody by police on September 3 to assist in the investigation. It was believed the second time for Xie to be asked to "assist" the investigation.
Wei and Li had been taken off their jobs and sent to study in the Party School, restricted from leaving Beijing, before being taken by police.
Xie, 55, is the third senior soccer official at the bureau-director level to be detained by police, following Nan Yong and Yang Yimin, both former vice chairmen of the football association.
Xie became board chairman of the state-owned China Sports Industry Group in January 2009.
After Xie was taken away by police, the listed company's share price declined on September 7 and 9. Its stock trading was suspended for one day on September 8. The company's current share price is 9.74 yuan (US$1.44).
It is expected that Xie will be removed as board chairman and a successor will probably be named soon.
Police launched the campaign against soccer corruption last October. They detained a number of soccer club managers and football players for fixing games for gambling and offering bribes.
The crackdown soon extended to senior officials of the football association and well-known referees.
Wei Shaohui, a former leader of the national soccer team, and Li Dongsheng, former director of the association's referee commission, are also under investigation.
The investigation is part of a widening probe into gambling and match-fixing, the ministry.
The move is the latest in a push to rid China's soccer game of the taint of cheating and raise the level of play.
The investigation has so far netted more than a dozen players and officials, including Nan Yong, the association's former top official who replaced Xie in 2009. They were arrested on suspicion of bribing or threatening players and referees to determine the outcome of games they had bet on.
Football is widely popular in China, even though the men's national team is ranked No. 97 in the world.
Police and prosecutors collected a number of tips and clues indicating that Xie, Li and Wei might be involved in bribery and gambling, the ministry said.
The police then opened an investigation with the cooperation of the General Administration of Sport of China, it said.
The ministry released no details about the possible illegalities the trio were involved in.
The three were taken into custody by police on September 3 to assist in the investigation. It was believed the second time for Xie to be asked to "assist" the investigation.
Wei and Li had been taken off their jobs and sent to study in the Party School, restricted from leaving Beijing, before being taken by police.
Xie, 55, is the third senior soccer official at the bureau-director level to be detained by police, following Nan Yong and Yang Yimin, both former vice chairmen of the football association.
Xie became board chairman of the state-owned China Sports Industry Group in January 2009.
After Xie was taken away by police, the listed company's share price declined on September 7 and 9. Its stock trading was suspended for one day on September 8. The company's current share price is 9.74 yuan (US$1.44).
It is expected that Xie will be removed as board chairman and a successor will probably be named soon.
Police launched the campaign against soccer corruption last October. They detained a number of soccer club managers and football players for fixing games for gambling and offering bribes.
The crackdown soon extended to senior officials of the football association and well-known referees.
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