China to prosecute ex-deputy sports minister and Olympics committee member for graft
Xiao Tian abused his position to get his wife promotions, took bribes, spent government funds on banquets and had private firms arrrange for him to play golf, China's anti-graft watchdog says
China’s former deputy sports minister, who once sat on the mainland’s Olympics committee, will be prosecuted for graft after an investigation found he abused his position and took bribes, the Communist Party’s corruption watchdog said on Thursday.
Xiao Tian, who as a deputy head of the General Administration of Sport held a position equivalent to that of a vice minister, had abused his position to get his wife promotions, took bribes, spent government money on banquets and had private companies arrange for him to play golf, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said.
He also sought benefits for others” in approving sports competitions and “sports industry operation” the anti-graft watchdog added, without elaborating.
In July, Beijing – the host city of the 2008 Summer Olympics – won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
China, which is aggressively seeking to stamp out corruption in party and government ranks, has also sought to eject corrupt elements from its sports establishment, especially within soccer, which has been hit by match-fixing scandals.
