On the morning of March 26, 2024, the Intermediate People's Court of Huangshi City, Hubei Province publicly pronounced the first instance verdict on the bribery case of Yu Hongchen, the former chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association. The defendant Yu Hongchen was sentenced to 13 years in prison for accepting bribes and was fined RMB Two million yuan; his illegal gains from bribery will be recovered in accordance with the law and turned over to the state treasury.
The trial found that: from 2010 to 2023, the defendant Yu Hongchen successively used his position as deputy director of the Football Management Center of the State Sports General Administration, chairman of the Chinese Super League Co., Ltd., vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, secretary of the Party Committee, and track and field manager of the State Sports General Administration. Director of the Sports Management Center, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Chinese Athletics Association and other positions, as well as the convenient conditions for the formation of authority and status, provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in company operations, league promotions, job competitions and other matters, and illegally accept others The total amount of money given was equivalent to more than 22.54 million yuan, of which 3.5 million yuan was not actually obtained.
The Huangshi Intermediate People's Court held that the defendant Yu Hongchen's behavior constituted the crime of accepting bribes, and the amount was particularly huge. He took advantage of his position to seek illegitimate interests for multiple football clubs in matters such as league relegation, event activities, referee decisions, player transfers, etc., seriously damaging the order of fair competition in the football field and the industry's ecological environment, and causing serious damage to the national football industry; Seeking job promotion or adjustment for others shall lead to severe punishment at discretion. In view of the fact that his bribery of 3.5 million yuan was an attempt; he truthfully confessed his crime after arriving at the case, and took the initiative to explain most of the facts of the bribery crime that the supervisory authority has not grasped; he pleaded guilty and repented, and part of the bribery money was recovered, he can be given a lighter punishment in accordance with the law. The court then made the above judgment.
(CCTV News Client CCTV reporter Xi Danni, Zhang Saiwubing and Zhu Tianfu)