NetEase dismisses two execs & seven other employees on bribery allegations
NetEase confirmed that police have taken the executives and employees into custody and are investigating money laundering charges.
Police have detained two executives and seven employees of the NetEase company this week, following allegations of money laundering and bribery. The staff were part of NetEase’s esports division, as well as working on games such as Marvel Rivals and Destiny: Rising. The employees and executives have been dismissed from employment at the company as police investigate the matter.
Word of police arrests and NetEase dismissal of those detained came through Chinese news outlet Leifeng, with further reporting and confirmation from Bloomberg. In an apparent internal company memo, NetEase confirmed that executives Xiang Lang and Jin Yuchen were out of the company. Lang was head of esports and third-party publishing while Yuchen was overseeing publishing on NetEase’s Interactive Entertainment Group unit.
Source: NetEase Games
A NetEase spokesperson said that police are still investigating further possible leads on corruption within NetEase, but no further information would be shared at this time. However, Leifeng’s reporting also suggests that up to 1 billion yuan (or approximately $139.2 million USD) and around 28 different businesses may be involved in the alleged crimes for which NetEase’s former employees were detained. It is unknown if development on Marvel Rivals or Destiny: Rising, with which some of the employees were involved, will be affected.
With many details up in the air at this time, it will be interesting to see what further news comes out of the arrests at NetEase. Stay tuned as we continue to follow for further updates and details.
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