The message from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) was unmistakable: After the cases have been processed, proceedings will be opened against all ten snooker professionals from the People's Republic of China who are suspected of being involved or complicit in game manipulation for the purpose of betting fraud.
They will soon have to face an independent tribunal and until then will remain banned from all competitions supervised by the world governing body.
Match-fixing and betting winnings
The investigations initiated internally in December have apparently yielded clear indications that five of the mostly young billiard cracks were actively involved in the manipulation of several games (match fixing);
the other five allowed themselves to be persuaded to do so for at least one match.
In addition, five of the suspects are said to have been betting on games themselves, which is prohibited under the WPBSA's Code of Conduct.
In addition, three of them would have made the investigation more difficult instead of cooperating.
That should push up the duration of the expected lockdowns.
Now it would be in the interest of the World Association and the World Snooker Tour if those who instigated them could also be convicted along with the probably corrupted professionals.
The manipulation affair about allegedly postponed games had shaken the snooker world around the turn of the year.
It's about agreeing on results and the associated winnings.
The accused players include Zhao Xintong, number nine in the world and a kind of foster son of world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan from England.