Quoting Chinese legal experts
Son Jun-ho’s side is unfair… Request for cooperation from Chinese associations and FIFA
Local media reported that national soccer player Son Jun-ho (31, Taishan, Shandong), who was detained by the Chinese police, could be sentenced to five years in prison for bribery. China’s Sina Sports quoted Chinese legal experts on the 17th and said, “If the charge of bribery is recognized, you may be sentenced to less than 5 years or more than 5 years in prison depending on the amount.” Son Jun-ho has been under investigation since the 12th in a state of criminal detention at the Public Security Bureau in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing on the 16th that “a Korean national has been detained on charges of accepting bribes for non-state actors.” The crime of accepting bribes by non-state actors applies to cases where a person belonging to an organization other than a government agency illegally accepts the property of another person using the convenience of his or her job. This charge can be applied if a sports player has given or received money or valuables in exchange for fraudulent solicitation in connection with the competition.
Since 2021, Son Jun-ho has been active in Shandong Taishan, a Chinese professional football team. Recently, coach Hao Wei and some players of this team are being investigated by the authorities for misconduct such as match fixing. According to the media, Son Jun-ho is the first foreign player to be investigated for anti-corruption in Chinese football.
Yinbo (印波), a professor at the Graduate School of Criminal Justice, China University of Political Science and Law, told Sina Sports, “Foreigners who violate Chinese criminal law in China should be subject to criminal sanctions according to their local jurisdiction. If the amount is large, imprisonment of 5 years or more and confiscation of property may be imposed.” He continued, “The general public does not necessarily accept bribes on the basis of commercial activities.”
Hu Yongping (胡永平), a lawyer at Beijing Horizon, expressed a similar view. He said, “If Son Jun-ho received money or valuables from the Chinese league, it is according to our criminal law that he be detained as a criminal in our public security agency.” “If the amount of the bribe is between 60,000 and 1 million yuan, it is possible to be sentenced to less than 5 years in prison, and if it is more than 1 million yuan, more than 5 years,” he said. ” he added.
However, Son Jun-ho’s side said it was unfair. The team’s signboard, he said, “What’s wrong with asking for favors?” He also emphasized that if a player has an unfair side, he should be protected. In fact, it has not been announced at all what type of investigation Son Jun-ho is under, whether or not he is guilty or not. Currently, Son Jun-ho’s side is known to be planning to take legal action by hiring a local law firm. The Korea Football Association has also requested cooperation from the Chinese Football Association and the International Football Federation (FIFA).
Meanwhile, Son Jun-ho held a consular interview with the Korean diplomatic authorities six days after he was arrested by the public security on the 17th. According to the Korean Consulate General in Shenyang, China, during an hour-long meeting with the consul, Son Jun-ho said that there was no human rights violation by the Chinese public security forces.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.