3 sports executives in China found guilty of bribery

WUHAN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Three primary-level courts in central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday respectively announced the first-instance sentences for three senior sports executives accused of bribery.

Chen Yongliang, former executive deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association and director of the national team management department, was given a fixed-term imprisonment of 14 years and fined 2.2 million yuan (about 310,000 U.S. dollars) for accepting and offering bribes.

Dong Zheng, former general manager of the Chinese Super League Co., Ltd., was sentenced to eight years in prison for accepting bribes and fined 2 million yuan.

Liu Lei, former deputy director of the Wuhan fitness center, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and fined 300,000 yuan for accepting and offering bribes.

The illegal gains of the three defendants will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury, according to court statements.