Tsao questioned on baseball game-fixing case upon return

Tsao was detained at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at around 5 a.m. yesterday and then escorted to court by airport police at 6 a.m. after customs officials alerted the Banqiao District Court that Tsao had returned from Los Angeles.

At the court, Tsao was questioned as a witness by Li Chin-fu, one of the judges in a game-fixing case involving 24 former players of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

The judge said Tsao was listed as a witness in the case, yet failed to show up at court sessions although he was subpoenaed twice. Li dismissed as unacceptable Tsao's excuse that he was in the U.S. at the time of the hearings. The judge said Tsao did not seek the court's permission to be absent from the hearings, which is the proper legal procedure.

Under the existing laws, witnesses failing to attend court hearings without proper reason may face a fine of up to NT$30,000 (US$936) and will be brought to court by police.

The judge questioned Tsao about some of the evidence found by investigators in a search of Tsao's residence earlier this year during the probe into the game-fixing scandal.

Before releasing Tsao, the judge warned him that although he has already been cleared by prosecutors of any involvement in the case, he could come under investigation again if new evidence against him emerges.

The game-fixing scandal erupted in October, 2009, with 24 baseball players charged with throwing games in league with book makers.

Tsao told the judge that he loves baseball very much. Tsao also extended his apology to baseball fans, and expressed hopes for their further support for him.

Tsao, who played for the Colorado Rockies in the U.S. Major League in 1999 and for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007, signed up with Brother Elephants in 2008. He was the first Taiwanese major leaguer to play in the CPBL.

Although Tsao was not implicated in the CPBL game-fixing scandal, Brother Elephants fired him on grounds that he had had contact with a bookmaker who was charged as the mastermind behind the whole scheme.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email