Chinese soccer referees jailed in bribery scandal
By Ni Yinbin |
February 17, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's four former top referees, including a former World Cup match official, were yesterday jailed for up to seven years for their part in the country's biggest soccer scandal.
The sentences, handed down by a court in northeast China's Liaoning Province, were the first to be imposed after a series of trials began in December last year following a two-year investigation into match-fixing involving at least 20 teams and 60 players, referees, coaches and officials.
The Intermediate People's Court in Dandong sentenced Lu Jun, a referee at the 2002 World Cup, to five years and six months for accepting bribes. He was also fined 100,000 yuan (US$15,900).
Three other referees - Huang Junjie, Zhou Weixin and Wan Daxue - were sentenced to seven, three-and-a-half and six years, respectively, and fined for taking and offering bribes.
The court said Huang was given the longest sentence because he had accepted the highest amount of bribes among the four - 1.48 million yuan and HK$100,000 (US$12,900).
Zhou got the shortest sentence because of his confession and voluntary surrender.
Wan said he would appeal the judgment. It was unclear whether the other three would appeal, but they have 10 days in which to do so.
Lu was charged with taking 810,000 yuan in bribes to rig seven matches between 1999 and 2003, the court heard. He received 710,000 yuan from clubs to help them win and earned the other 100,000 yuan for acting as a middleman, the court heard.
Lu's most infamous match-fixing was helping Shanghai Shenhua win a derby match against Shanghai International in the Jia-A League in 2003.
The 52-year-old took 350,000 yuan from Shenhua. who went on to win the match 4-1 and seal the season's championship title.
Shanghai International had been leading second-place Shenhua by two points before the match.
Lu also worked as a middleman to help Shenyang Haishi fix a match to avoid relegation in the last round of the Jia-A League in 1999. He previously admitted the charges and surrendered 780,000 yuan of bribes. Lu was in charge of two games at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Also sentenced yesterday at the same court was the former general manager of the Super League, a company financed by China's soccer administration and clubs to run the top-flight domestic competition. Lu Feng was jailed for six and a half years for bribery.
A court in Tieling, also in Liaoning, is expected to announce sentences on former Vice President of the Chinese Football Association Yang Yimin, former CFA head Nan Yong, and other CFA and club officials tomorrow.
Chinese soccer has been bogged down by bribery and match-fixing scandals for years, which along with violence on and off the pitch led to fans turning away from the game in droves.
The Chinese Super League kicks off its new season next month.
The sentences, handed down by a court in northeast China's Liaoning Province, were the first to be imposed after a series of trials began in December last year following a two-year investigation into match-fixing involving at least 20 teams and 60 players, referees, coaches and officials.
The Intermediate People's Court in Dandong sentenced Lu Jun, a referee at the 2002 World Cup, to five years and six months for accepting bribes. He was also fined 100,000 yuan (US$15,900).
Three other referees - Huang Junjie, Zhou Weixin and Wan Daxue - were sentenced to seven, three-and-a-half and six years, respectively, and fined for taking and offering bribes.
The court said Huang was given the longest sentence because he had accepted the highest amount of bribes among the four - 1.48 million yuan and HK$100,000 (US$12,900).
Zhou got the shortest sentence because of his confession and voluntary surrender.
Wan said he would appeal the judgment. It was unclear whether the other three would appeal, but they have 10 days in which to do so.
Lu was charged with taking 810,000 yuan in bribes to rig seven matches between 1999 and 2003, the court heard. He received 710,000 yuan from clubs to help them win and earned the other 100,000 yuan for acting as a middleman, the court heard.
Lu's most infamous match-fixing was helping Shanghai Shenhua win a derby match against Shanghai International in the Jia-A League in 2003.
The 52-year-old took 350,000 yuan from Shenhua. who went on to win the match 4-1 and seal the season's championship title.
Shanghai International had been leading second-place Shenhua by two points before the match.
Lu also worked as a middleman to help Shenyang Haishi fix a match to avoid relegation in the last round of the Jia-A League in 1999. He previously admitted the charges and surrendered 780,000 yuan of bribes. Lu was in charge of two games at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Also sentenced yesterday at the same court was the former general manager of the Super League, a company financed by China's soccer administration and clubs to run the top-flight domestic competition. Lu Feng was jailed for six and a half years for bribery.
A court in Tieling, also in Liaoning, is expected to announce sentences on former Vice President of the Chinese Football Association Yang Yimin, former CFA head Nan Yong, and other CFA and club officials tomorrow.
Chinese soccer has been bogged down by bribery and match-fixing scandals for years, which along with violence on and off the pitch led to fans turning away from the game in droves.
The Chinese Super League kicks off its new season next month.
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