Christian baseball player acquitted; seeks justice
Reported by Sam Lee
Written by Lydia Ma
Former professional baseball league player and Christian Charlie Chen from LaNew Bears, a professional baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, was recently acquitted of any involvement with a match-fixing scandal that made headlines in Taiwan months ago.
This match-fixing scandal was linked to a gambling group and the prosecutor originally determined that Chen, being a member of the team, was guilty of deception and gambling like the rest of his teammates.
Though Chen had repeatedly maintained his innocence, he was still charged. He was recently found “not guilty” in the case’s trial of first instance at Banciao District Court on November 26, 2010.
During an interview, Chen said he appreciated the outpouring of support from Christians during his darkest moments – especially when he lost his job upon being charged for a crime he didn’t commit.
But despite his exoneration, he has yet to be approached by his baseball team or reinstated by the baseball league. He is still fighting for his right to return to the baseball field as a professional player.
Now officially declared innocent, Chen said he could sympathize with LaNew Bear’s reactions when he was charged. But since he has now been declared innocent, he is asking the team to “give back to him what is rightfully his“, particularly his work and reputation.
