Integrity in sport update: Ukraine drafts bill to criminalise corruption in sports

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This week's media recap has articles of match-fixing investigations in a number of sports, such as tennis, volleyball and football that are presently underway. The investigation in China is against the director of GAS volleyball administrative centre, a similar investigation into football in 2012 resulted in 57 officials, referees and players being accused of taking bribes or involvement in match-fixing which resulted in sentencing of 10 years or more in jail for accepting bribes.

The Ukraine has registered a bill in parliament that will criminalize corruption and encourage principles of fair play in sports. This good practice will also see a enhanced working relationship between law enforcement authorities and sporting organisations.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION

China

A senior volleyball official with China's General Administration of Sport (GAS) is under investigation for graft, said China's top discipline inspection agency Tuesday. Pan Zhichen, director of the GAS volleyball administrative center, is being investigated for "serious violations of discipline and law," said a statement on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China, quoting the GAS discipline inspection division. China's anti-corruption campaign has swept various sectors and fields,including the country's sport administration. In June, Xiao Tian, then GAS deputy director, was investigated by the CCDI for "serious breaches of discipline and law." He was dismissed in July. The CCDI conducted an anti-corruption inspection on the GAS from July to September of 2014 and criticized the administration for bureaucracy, poor management and malpractice, including manipulating games. The country's football scene saw a wave of corruption scandals in 2012.

A total of 57 officials, referees and players were accused of taking bribes or involvement in match-fixing, including former Chinese Football Association (CFA) leaders Nan Yong and Xie Yalong, who were both sentenced to over a decade in jail in 2013 for accepting bribes.

Source: Xinhua, "Volleyball official under graft investigation", 4 August 2015, Ecns.cn, https://www.ecns.cn/2015/08-04/175738.shtml

Ghana

The Division One League Board (DOLB) wishes to inform all Clubs in Zone One of the ongoing GN Bank Division One League that all remaining matches will go on as scheduled while the alleged match fixing case between Wa African United and Techiman City is being investigated by Ethics Committee. Meanwhile two members of the Division One League Board whose names were mentioned in the match fixing allegation, Mr. Charles Kwadwo Ntim and Mr. Samuel Otoo, opted to step aside from all activities of the Board until the Ethics Committee completes its investigations into the matter.

Source: "All Division One Zone One league to go ahead as Ethics Committee investigates match fixing...", 6 August 2015, Business Ghana, https://www.businessghana.com/portal/sports/news.php?op=getNews&id=44555

Tuesday, 11 August 2015