Just as Taiwanese sports fans were celebrating their national soccer teams’ recent wins, the successes have been overshadowed by a fraud scandal involving Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) chairman Lin Cheng-yi (林振義).
Lin was among 14 people arrested during raids on Monday at 12 locations, where authorities also confiscated documents and other potential evidence.
Lin was taken in for questioning overnight at the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office, before being released on NT$1 million (US$31,996) bail late on Tuesday afternoon, after the Keelung District Court rejected prosecutors’ requests to have him detained.
Hangyuan Co (航源事業公司) — a funeral service business managing columbarium towers — of which Lin is the principal owner and chairman, has allegedly been involved in illegal business conduct and profiteering of at least NT$200 million.
Lin’s questioning at the prosecutors’ office came at a time when, as head of the national soccer authority, he was supposed to host Asian Football Confederation officials and foreign dignitaries at Tuesday night’s women’s soccer match between Taiwan and Iran.
Taiwan won 1-0 after Lee Hsiu-chin (李?琴) scored in the 44th minute.
Taiwanese fans and sports officials were buoyed with optimism after the win, as the game followed last week’s victory by the men’s national squad over Brunei to advance into the next qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
After the women’s match, as players and coaches celebrated on the pitch and thanked fans for their support, several spectators joined in a chorus, shouting: “Where is chairman Lin?”
Sports officials and soccer enthusiasts are concerned that the scandal will hinder the nation’s development in the sport, just when the recent winning results indicate the game is progressing in Taiwan.
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