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Flies and Tigers | 抓蝇打虎

Sports official on graft charges

Source: Agencies | September 25, 2015, Friday | Print Edition

THE former public face of China’s national Olympic committee has been expelled from the Party following a corruption investigation, weeks after the country won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Xiao Tian, who as a deputy head of the General Administration of Sport held a position equivalent of a vice minister, is to be prosecuted after an investigation found he abused his position and took bribes, the Party’s anti-graft watchdog said yesterday.

Xiao was placed under investigation in June and sacked from his government post shortly before the Olympic decision was taken. As a vice chairman of China’s national Olympic committee, he was its main speaker at press conferences.

Xiao abused his position to get his wife promotions, took bribes, spent government money on banquets and had private companies arrange for him to play golf, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said.

He also sought benefits for others in approving sports competitions and sports industry operations, it alleged, without giving details.

Xiao had tried to interfere in the investigation into his activities, shifting funds around and engaging in a “conspiracy of silence,” the watchdog claimed.

“Xiao Tian had lost all his ideals and faith as a high-ranking leader and cadre of the Party,” it said. His actions were “vicious in nature and the circumstances were severe.” His case has been handed over to the legal authorities.

Formerly a successful fencer, Xiao is the highest-ranking sports official to fall in China’s anti-corruption drive.

China, seeking to stamp out corruption in Party and government ranks, has also sought to eject corrupt elements from sports, especially in soccer, a sport hit by match-fixing scandals.

Corruption in sports is in the spotlight at present because of a US and Swiss probe into world football body FIFA.

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