Corrupt referee Gong Jianping was given a 10-year jail term
yesterday after being convicted of taking bribes during the 2000-01
Chinese Football League season.
The verdict was delivered by the Xuanwu District People's Court in
Beijing in the first trial of the case. The court ruled that Gong
had taken bribes totaling 370,000 yuan (US$44,700), according to
the court reports.
The verdict also ended speculation among the general public and
referees on how the case would be solved following Gong's detention
by the Beijing Xuanwu District public security office in March.
Analysts said the case would set an example for judicial bodies,
allowing them to investigate other referees suspected of
corruption.
Gong was first accused by the Zhejiang Lucheng Football Club in
October 2001 as one of eight referees who took bribes during the
2000-01 season.
Geely Corp Chairman Li Shufu and Lucheng President Song Weiping,
who also head their companies' football teams, admitted to the
public last year that they had bribed referees to win matches and
expected to be punished.
Song and Li said they paid 60,000 yuan (US$7,300) to ensure a home
victory. Li also estimated about 70 to 80 percent of league
referees had taken bribes at least once.
The case of Gong, employed by the Chinese Football Association
(CFA), drew severe criticism in recent years by fans and the
media.
CFA said referees who admitted taking bribes should be forgiven
with only those refusing to confess being punished by law.
With the exception of Gong, other referees suspected of corruption
seem to have been forgiven by the CFA and some even appeared in the
2002 football league.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate issued a notice in March saying
referees suspected of taking bribes will be prosecuted under
charges of accepting bribes as corporation staff, according to
Article No 163 of the Criminal Law.
Those charged with accepting bribes as corporation staff will be
sentenced to fixed-term of imprisonment.
(China Daily January 30, 2003)