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Elephants coach Nakagomi out on bail

Former Brother Elephants coach Shim Nakagomi was released on NT$80,000 bail yesterday after being questioned by investigators over his alleged involvement in a game-fixing scandal.

Nakagomi was detained by the National Immigration Agency at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Monday afternoon and later questioned by Banciao prosecutors over his alleged involvement in the betting scandal.

A spokesman for Banciao District Prosecutors’ Office, Cheng Hsin-hung (鄭鑫宏), said Nakagomi was questioned as a defendant. Cheng said prosecutors thought it was necessary to prevent Nakagomi from leaving the country and was detained on an arrest warrant.

Prosecutors had originally set bail at NT$150,000, but after considering Nakagomi’s income, the amount was reduced to NT$80,000 on condition that restrictions were put on his residence and travel and he agree to respond immediately to investigators’ summons.

Nakagomi and his attorney declined to comment as they left the prosecutors’ office.

TV footage from Monday showed a smiling Nakagomi at the Taoyuan International Airport before he was stopped by authorities.

He told reporters at the time that he was planning to return to Japan to work and that he had no idea he was forbidden from leaving the country. He denied involvement in the game-fixing scandal.

Investigators said they asked Nakagomi if he knew Tsai Cheng-yi (蔡政宜), the alleged head of the “Windshield Wipers” gang and whether he solicited players to throw games.

Tsai and his associates are suspected of running a gambling ring that bet on professional baseball games and recruited players to play poorly to manipulate the scores.

Brother Elephants players Yang Tsung-fan (楊宗範) and La New Bears player Huang Chun-chung (黃俊中), who is being detained, were also questioned yesterday. Huang has been listed as a defendant in the case, but prosecutors declined to say whether Yang was questioned as a witness or a defendant.
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