World Cup referee Lu Jun could face
punishment ranging from administrative sanction to the death penalty if
found guilty in the ongoing probe into match-fixing in the domestic
game.
If he is found guilty of having accepted bribes as a public servant, the severity of his punishment will depend on the amount of money involved.
Lu was dubbed the 'golden whistle' for his supposed integrity when China was in the thrall of the earlier 'black whistles' scandal some eight years ago.
Chinese Football Association chief Wei Di told Soccer News: "I was really shocked and hurt when Lu's name cropped up in the scandal.
"He is undoubtedly a first-rate referee in terms of working ability, but his morals are a far cry from his 'golden whistle' reputation."
The others arrested were 45-year-old Guangzhou official Zhou Weixin, who like Lu was retired, and Huang Junjie, an active FIFA international referee since 1998.
Huang, 43, has taken charge of several internationals, including World Cup qualifiers involving Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Wei, who said the police had not told him why the three officials had been arrested, took up his post after his predecessor Nan Yong became caught up in the scandal, leading to his arrest with his deputy Yang Yimin and referees committee chief Zhang Jianqiang.
The CFA have made the integrity of match officials a central plank in their attempts to reform the game and more than 200 referees were last week sent on a five-day 'Anti-corruption Rectification Education Camp'.
Wei said in future the selection of referees for matches would be an independent process.
"We will adopt a new mechanism to improve our management. No leader of the Chinese Football Association, including me, can decide which referee to use," he said.
As well as the individual prosecutions, Guangzhou and Chengdu were relegated from the top flight Chinese Super League, while Qingdao of the second division have been kicked out of professional football altogether for match-fixing.
The new CSL season is scheduled to begin on March 27.