Photo:CCTV

Du Zhaocai,MKsports former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China and former Party secretary of the Chinese Football Association, was on Friday sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 4 million yuan ($550,000) for accepting bribes worth over 43 million yuan.

The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court in Central China's Hubei Province publicly sentenced Du, in a first-instance trial for accepting bribes on Friday, according to the CCTV news.

The Wuhan Intermediate People's Court found that the defendant, Du Zhaocai, had committed the crime of accepting bribes, with an amount that was particularly large, and should be punished according to the law.

Du used his position to seek improper benefits for football clubs in matters such as relocating home stadiums and player transfers, severely disrupting the fair competition order and industry environment in the football field. He also sought job promotions and adjustments for others, which warranted a heavier sentence.

Given that he truthfully confessed his crimes after being taken into custody and proactively disclosed parts of his bribery activities that had not been previously known to the supervision authorities, and considering that there were attempted bribery incidents in his case, as well as his remorse and active return of illicit funds, with all bribe money, property, and derived income having been recovered, the court decided to impose a lighter sentence.

During the trial, the prosecution presented relevant evidence, and the defendant Du and his defense lawyer cross-examined it.

Both the prosecution and defense fully expressed their opinions under the court's guidance. Du made a final statement, admitting his guilt and expressing remorse.