Looks like the U.S.A. isn't the only ones that are having gambling scandals in sports right now.
Tainan Speaker ** freed in baseball-rigging probe
The Tainan District Court rejected yesterday the prosecutors' call to take Tainan County Council Speaker ** Chien-bao into custody for allegedly fixing baseball games and running gambling on outcomes of the games.
The court turned down the prosecutors' request to detain **, based on lack of solid evidence and on grounds there was no risk of him colluding with other suspects in the alleged scam involving players of the Chinatrust Whales, one of Taiwan's six pro baseball teams.
In a massive operation Thursday, public prosecutors from Tainan searched 26 locations in Taipei City, Taipei County, Tainan City, Tainan County, and Kaohsiung County to gather evidence.
They also questioned 18 suspects and witnesses until 3 a.m. Friday before seeking court permission to put ** into detention.
According to prosecutors, ** worked with Chinatrust Whales players to fix games.
He and other bookies would then profit by using dummy accounts to place bets at six gambling outlets plus online betting.
The prosecutors said that at one of the gambling outlets, the turnover ran over NT$1.4 billion every week.
Tseng Han-chou, a player for the Whales, was interrogated on charges of fraud, while four of his teammates were questioned as witnesses.
Prosecutors did not ask for the detention of Tseng, who is also captain of the team. They placed him in custody of the team's management.
Leaders of the Chinese Professional Baseball League said they were not ready to penalize Tseng at this stage, as the investigation was still ongoing.
**, aged 57 and an influential local politician of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in the Tainan area, said he was summoned by prosecutors as a witness to help with the probe.
He claimed that he was innocent and that justice will clear his name.
This is not **'s first brush with the legal system. He was previously indicted for running a gambling den, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.
In a pending case presently handled by the Tainan District Court, he was charged with allegedly stealing gravel from the Tsengwen River for illegal profits.
Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of four years and two months plus a fine of NT$30 million.
** had declined the opportunity to run for a seat in the Legislative Yuan on the KMT ticket in view of his legal troubles.
The KMT did not nominate him either.
But at the urging of his supporters, ** submitted his application with the KMT headquarters and the party gave the nod last month to allow him to join the parliamentary election next January.
A KMT spokesman said ** volunteered to take part in the upcoming election with the party's blessing. The party respects the verdict of the judicial system and will take proper action depending on developments in the case.
If convicted, ** will lose his endorsement from the KMT.
Professional baseball in Taiwan suffered two match-rigging scandals in 1996 and 2005, both of which led to a sharp decline in game attendance.
In June last year, the Taiwan High Court upheld the sentence of two years and six months for former Chiayi Farmers Association Chairman Hsiao Deng-shih for his leading role in fixing professional baseball games 10 years ago.
A total of 22 pro baseball players were involved in the case concerning the games played in 1996.
All the baseballers involved in the scandal received suspended sentences.
The Tainan District Court rejected yesterday the prosecutors' call to take Tainan County Council Speaker ** Chien-bao into custody for allegedly fixing baseball games and running gambling on outcomes of the games.
The court turned down the prosecutors' request to detain **, based on lack of solid evidence and on grounds there was no risk of him colluding with other suspects in the alleged scam involving players of the Chinatrust Whales, one of Taiwan's six pro baseball teams.
In a massive operation Thursday, public prosecutors from Tainan searched 26 locations in Taipei City, Taipei County, Tainan City, Tainan County, and Kaohsiung County to gather evidence.
They also questioned 18 suspects and witnesses until 3 a.m. Friday before seeking court permission to put ** into detention.
According to prosecutors, ** worked with Chinatrust Whales players to fix games.
He and other bookies would then profit by using dummy accounts to place bets at six gambling outlets plus online betting.
The prosecutors said that at one of the gambling outlets, the turnover ran over NT$1.4 billion every week.
Tseng Han-chou, a player for the Whales, was interrogated on charges of fraud, while four of his teammates were questioned as witnesses.
Prosecutors did not ask for the detention of Tseng, who is also captain of the team. They placed him in custody of the team's management.
Leaders of the Chinese Professional Baseball League said they were not ready to penalize Tseng at this stage, as the investigation was still ongoing.
**, aged 57 and an influential local politician of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in the Tainan area, said he was summoned by prosecutors as a witness to help with the probe.
He claimed that he was innocent and that justice will clear his name.
This is not **'s first brush with the legal system. He was previously indicted for running a gambling den, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.
In a pending case presently handled by the Tainan District Court, he was charged with allegedly stealing gravel from the Tsengwen River for illegal profits.
Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of four years and two months plus a fine of NT$30 million.
** had declined the opportunity to run for a seat in the Legislative Yuan on the KMT ticket in view of his legal troubles.
The KMT did not nominate him either.
But at the urging of his supporters, ** submitted his application with the KMT headquarters and the party gave the nod last month to allow him to join the parliamentary election next January.
A KMT spokesman said ** volunteered to take part in the upcoming election with the party's blessing. The party respects the verdict of the judicial system and will take proper action depending on developments in the case.
If convicted, ** will lose his endorsement from the KMT.
Professional baseball in Taiwan suffered two match-rigging scandals in 1996 and 2005, both of which led to a sharp decline in game attendance.
In June last year, the Taiwan High Court upheld the sentence of two years and six months for former Chiayi Farmers Association Chairman Hsiao Deng-shih for his leading role in fixing professional baseball games 10 years ago.
A total of 22 pro baseball players were involved in the case concerning the games played in 1996.
All the baseballers involved in the scandal received suspended sentences.