China News Service, Beijing, March 26 (Reporter Zhang Su) The reporter learned from the Supreme People's Court of China that on March 26, 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 fined RMB 2 million; his illegal gains from accepting bribes were recovered in accordance with the law and turned over to the state treasury.
Public information shows that Yu Hongchen has many years of experience in football management. He was added as vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association in 2012, at a time when Chinese football was launching an unprecedented "anti-gambling and anti-criminal campaign" storm.
After trial, it was 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 court held that 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.
According to reports, during the trial, the public prosecution accused Yu Hongchen of "relying on football to eat football" and "relying on track and field to eat track and field". He had accepted bribes 54 times in 13 years, with a total of 18 bribe-taking crimes. In his final statement, Yu Hongchen confessed to his criminal behavior and apologized to fans across the country.
"Use my criminal behavior as a negative teaching material and a negative example to warn and educate future generations not to embark on the path of illegal crimes like me, not to repeat the same mistakes and cause harm to the national cause." Yu Hongchen said.
It is worth noting that Yu Hongchen’s bribery crimes involve multiple football clubs and individuals such as Chen Yongliang, the former deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association and former director of the National Team Management Department. On March 26, the same day the first-instance verdict was announced in the Yu Hongchen case, Chen Yongliang was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Xian'an District People's Court of Xianning City, Hubei Province for accepting bribes and offering bribes.
The public prosecution agency alleged that from 2015 to 2022, Chen Yongliang illegally accepted a total of 19.34444 million yuan in RMB from more than 20 clubs, local football associations and individuals in eight years. The amount was extremely huge, serious in nature and had a bad impact. He gave Yu Hongchen four times a total of 900,000 yuan.
On March 26, Dong Zheng, the former general manager of China Ford Football Industry Development Company and the former general manager of the Chinese Super League Co., Ltd., was sentenced to 8 years in prison in the first instance. Dong Zheng expressed his guilt and remorse in court, saying that he "failed to refuse the erosion of the unhealthy circle culture of the Chinese Super League." (over)