It appears that the recruitment corruption scandal that has plagued professional soccer will progress into a legal battle. The prosecution handed over Lee Jong-geol (60), former CEO of Ansan FC, to trial on suspicion of receiving money in exchange for joining a professional team.온라인바카라
According to News 1, the 9th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyun-ah) announced on the 13th that it had indicted CEO Lee and Ansan FC’s power reinforcement team leader Mr. Bae without detention on charges of breach of trust.
Three people, including the player’s father Mr. Hong, the elementary school soccer team coach Mr. Choi, and former national team coach Mr. Choi Tae-wook, who provided money in exchange for joining the team, were handed over to trial together on charges of breach of trust. As a result, the number of people indicted in connection with this professional soccer recruitment scandal has increased to 10.
Among these, the one who stands at the center is by far former CEO Lee. He received a total of 27 million won worth of valuables, including a Rolex watch, from agent Choi in exchange for allowing the player to join the team, 50 million won for a Mercedes Benz car from the player’s father, Mr. Hong, and 900 million won from former Ansan Greeners FC coach Lim Jong-heon in exchange for being appointed as a manager. He is accused of receiving 10,000 won. He is known to have engaged in all-out corruption in recruiting.
Mr. Bae, the head of the Ansan FC power strengthening team, was put on trial on charges of receiving 30 million won from agent Choi in exchange for joining the team.
The player’s father, Mr. Hong, gave the money for a Mercedes Benz car to CEO Lee in exchange for joining the team, and Mr. Choi, the former national team coach, and Mr. Choi, the elementary school soccer team coach, conspired with an agent to give money and valuables to CEO Lee and former coach Lim in exchange for the player, who was his student, to join the team. He was indicted without detention on charges of donation.
This incident has significant implications as it shows the dark side that still exists in the soccer world. Circumstances are coming to light one after another that this is not just a problem for 10 people.
The prosecution is also looking at this case from a broad perspective through the fraud case of Agent Choi, which was previously not forwarded by the police. The prosecution said that it fully reinvestigated the case and confirmed the chronic problem of K1 and K2 league professional soccer clubs and leaders accepting money and valuables in the name of personnel expenses and development funds from players joining the club, but dismissing this as a practice.
According to the prosecution, some leaders were found to have defrauded players of money by lying to them by saying they would let them join professional teams. It has been confirmed that in some civic clubs, absurd incidents have occurred where the CEO receives money or valuables while recruiting a player who is completely unrelated to the needs of the club, or receives money and valuables in exchange for the position of manager.
This is not all. Last July, the prosecution indicted former director Lim on charges of breach of trust, fraud, and violation of the Act on Concealment of Criminal Proceeds. On the same day, three people, including Shin, former Yonsei University soccer team coach, Shin, head coach of the professional team, and Kim, Soongsil University soccer team coach, were also indicted without detention. All three are accused of receiving money from agent Choi in exchange for a request to join a professional team.
Agent Choi is as key a person in this case as former CEO Lee. He was arrested and indicted on charges of breach of trust and fraud on the 14th of last month. Agent Lee, who is suspected of colluding with former director Lim, has fled abroad and is currently under indictment.
A prosecution official said, “In a situation of endless competition where only 3.7% of all soccer players join professional teams, we confirmed the reality of ‘player trading’ where money and valuables are exchanged in exchange for joining a professional team.” He added, “The defendants take player trading lightly as a practice. “We will do our best to maintain the prosecution so that the punishment is commensurate with the crime.”