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HONG KONG, May 3 – The mother of a Chinese student today admitted to having paid $ 6.5 million (RM26.9 million) to the man at the heart of the scandal of admission to American university, while claiming that she was fooled into thinking that this sum was a gift of charity. .
US universities have been shaken by a colossal bribery scandal led by William "Rick" Singer, who pleaded guilty to collaborating with coaches, university administrators and corrupt observers in order to "get the job done." encourage children from wealthy families to enroll in prestigious colleges.
The scam of an amount of $ 25 million, revealed by US prosecutors earlier this year, has led to 50 people on charges, including Hollywood actors and CEOs in the sector.
In most cases revealed by indictments or guilty pleas, parents have paid between $ 15,000 and $ 600,000 to guarantee the entry of their children to university.
But earlier this week, US media reported that Singer had received a whopping $ 6.5 million from a wealthy Chinese family whose daughter Yusi Zhao had been admitted to Stanford in 2017.
Today, Hong Kong-based Zhao's mother's lawyers issued a statement stating that the payment had been made, but that Singer had led her to believe that it was This was a legitimate gift for Stanford's salary and scholarship program.
"The donation is of the same order that many wealthy parents have openly done in prestigious universities," reads the statement, adding that they had made it a month after their daughter had been accepted at Stanford.
"Since the cases concerning Mr. Singer and his foundation have been widely reported, Ms. Zhao has come to realize that she was misled, her generosity was put to good use and her daughter was a victim of the scam, "he added.
The Mayer Brown law firm refused to give the full name of the mother and to say whether Yusi Zhao was still at the prestigious Ivy League university.
The New York Times His father is a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in traditional Chinese medicine and health supplements.
A journalist from the newspaper who visited the family home in an ultra-wealthy suburb of Beijing this week said that a Ferrari, a Tesla, a Bentley and a Land Rover could be seen parked in front of a manor-style Californian.
US prosecutors have not filed any lawsuits against the Zhao family.
American universities are highly sought after by Chinese families, and a thriving industry has flourished by offering tips and advice for test preparation. Chinese students have also become an extremely lucrative demographic group for these colleges.
The US media reported that only one family paid Singer a seven-figure sum – a Chinese family that allegedly paid $ 1.2 million to transport their daughter to Yale. – AFP
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