One of the five Chinese players suspended from competing on the World Snooker Tour has claimed that his involvement was at the behest of Liang Wenbo.
Chang Bingyu, who was suspended along with Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo and Bai Langning on Friday, posted a lengthy message on microblogging website Weibo, in which he accused Liang of ordering him to lose a match 4-1.
Liang is currently suspended pending the outcome of a separate investigation for what the WPBSA described as "manipulating the outcome of matches for betting purposes in breach of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations".
"On the morning of the start of the game, Liang Wenbo called me in a threatening tone, saying he was in my game against Jamie Jones," wrote Chang. "I was afraid that he had bet so much money. If I didn't agree, he would make trouble for me, so I had no choice but to agree. I was very scared."
Chang, aged 20, went on to state that while Liang's alleged actions made him feel 'really scared', he accepts that he will be punished for his involvement.
"No matter what the reason is for the match-fixing, it is my mistake, and I will cooperate fully with the investigation. I can accept any punishment, but I was really scared at the time."
WPBSA confirmed all players have the right to appeal against Friday's decision.
