The latest news indicates that Ni Huizhong, former director of the Winter Sports Management Center of the Chinese Communist Party’s General Administration of Sport (Winter Sports Center), has been “double-opened” and transferred to the judicial authorities, nearly 9 months after being taken down.
On May 17, the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervision Commission of the Chinese Communist Party announced that Ni Huizhong has been expelled from the Party, removed from public office, and transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.
The announcement stated that Ni Huizhong engaged in forming cliques, creating factions, and gaining political capital for himself; associating with political fraudsters; privately possessing and reading books with serious “political” issues; engaging in superstitious activities; resisting organizational inspections; entering private clubs, accepting banquets, travel arrangements, and other activities; accepting gifts and money that could influence the impartial performance of official duties. He engaged in rampant power and money transactions, using the convenience of his position to seek benefits for others in project contracting, event organization, staff recruitment, etc., and accepting huge sums of money, and more.
Public records show that Ni Huizhong, 56 years old, has long served in various positions at the General Administration of Sport of the Chinese Communist Party, including Director of the Human Resources Development Center and Director of the Office of the General Administration of Sport.
On August 26 last year, Ni Huizhong was officially announced to have been taken down.
At that time, Caixin reported that Ni Huizhong was an important figure in the preparation stage for the Beijing Winter Olympics. His investigation indicates corruption in the use of Olympic preparation funds in the sports field. Several industry insiders have indicated that the Ni Huizhong case may be related to the cases of Liu Aijie, former chairman of the Chinese Rowing Association and the Chinese Canoeing Association.
On April 4 last year, Liu Aijie was officially taken down. In December of the same year, the Intermediate People’s Court of Hebi City, Henan Province, found Liu Aijie guilty of accepting bribes totaling about 23.8158 million yuan, sentencing him to 11 years in prison and a fine of 2 million yuan.
Since the investigation of Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese national football team, many officials in the sports industry have been taken down.
These include Hu Guangyu, deputy director of the Political and Legal Affairs Department of the National Sports Administration of the Chinese Communist Party, Chen Xuyuan, chairman of the Chinese Football Association, Yu Hongchen, chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association (former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association), Dong Zheng, former general manager of the Chinese Super League Company, Ma Chengquan, former chairman of the Chinese Super League Company, Li Yuyi, former deputy chairman of the Chinese Football Association, Du Zhaocai, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of the Chinese Communist Party, and more.