Su Fengxian, the mother of former Singapore table tennis player Li Hu, was charged with corruption on Friday for reportedly bribing Singapore Table Tennis Association officials to be lenient with her son.
The 54-year-old is accused of offering €2,000 (S$3,024) to Loy Soo Han, the technical director of Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) on October 17. This step was apparently taken by her to influence an STTA investigation into her son.
In October, Li was hauled before an STTA disciplinary committee and he lost his contract for violating house rules. The 28-year-old player breached the STTA code of conduct by bringing a female friend in his hostel dormitory, which is located at the STTA's headquarters in Toa Payoh.
On Friday, Su told the court through a Mandarin interpreter that she intends to plead guilty to the charge. The court has fixed a hearing on Friday afternoon. Su is out on bail of $15,000.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said in a media statement that Singapore "adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption".
"The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau takes a serious view of any corrupt practices and will not hesitate to take action against any party involved in such acts," it added.
If convicted, Su, a Chinese national and Singapore permanent resident, could face up to five years of jail and a fine of up to S$100,000. The authorities terminated Li's contract on October 24.
