Three top soccer officials arrested on fixing charge

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-02 11:41

Three top soccer officials arrested on fixing charge

File photos of Nan Yong, Yang Yimin, Zhang Jianqiang (L-R) [sina.com.cn]

Three high-ranking Chinese soccer officials have been arrested for alleged match-fixing and bribery, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Monday.

The three were Nan Yong and Yang Yimin, vice chairmen of the Chinese Football Association, and Zhang Jianqiang, former director of the association's referee committee, according to the ministry.

They were arrested according to the law, the ministry said in a statement.

Police would fully support the sport authority's campaign to fight corruption in soccer, the statement said.

Apart from continuing its investigation into serious criminal cases, the ministry would coordinate with the sport, supervisory and judicial organs to set up an anti-gambling mechanism in a bid to create an environment for fair play in Chinese soccer, the statement said.

The ministry announced on January 21 that Nan and Yang had been summoned by police in the northeastern province of Liaoning to "clarify some facts in several important cases of soccer gambling and match-fixing in domestic league games."

On January 22, China's General Administration of Sport said at a press conference that Nan and Yang were removed from office.

The administration also appointed Wei Di, former head of the country's Water Sports Administration, to replace Nan as the new director of the Soccer Administrative Center.

On January 27, the MPS announced Nan, Yang and Zhang were detained.

Since 2009, several soccer officials have been reportedly detained for their involvement in gambling and match-fixing in soccer games.

The nationwide crackdown started in March 2009 when a high-profile committee was set up by 12 ministry-level bodies to clean up corruption in Chinese soccer.