Prosecutors to target bribery in 2007
February 28, 2007 | BY
clpstaff &clp articles &Prosecutors in China will investigate cases "which people care about deeply" in 2007, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).The cases are…
Prosecutors in China will investigate cases "which people care about deeply" in 2007, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).
The cases are said to include those that make people feel less secure (organized crime and violent crime), harm average citizens' interests or have garnered complaints from large numbers of people.
Commercial bribery cases will be of particular interest to prosecutors. The SPP reported that prosecutors investigated 9,582 commercial bribery cases involving public servants in 2006.
Prosecutors will also probe into cases which involve civil servants who abuse their power, especially cases involving commercial bribery and crimes in relation to production accidents, SPP sources said.
Chinese prosecutors probed 9,582 commercial bribery cases worth Rmb1.5 billion (US$193.8 million) in 2006. The crackdown focused on 15 different areas of bribery, including land sales, social security funds, medical care, government purchases and the bankruptcy of state-owned enterprises.
The SPP said that incidences of commercial bribery have been slowed by the sentencing of several high-ranking officials, including the former president of China Construction Bank, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes worth Rmb4.2 million, and a former official in China's Ministry of Finance, who received 13 years for taking bribes worth Rmb2.15 million.
Premier Wen Jiabao said at the closing of the NPC's annual session that China's citizens would be made masters of their country in order to oversee and criticize the government. The goal of a socialist democracy, he said, "is to make people the master in their own house. We will promote fairness and justice, especially make justice the top value of the socialist system."
This premium content is reserved for
China Law & Practice Subscribers.
A Premium Subscription Provides:
- A database of over 3,000 essential documents including key PRC legislation translated into English
- A choice of newsletters to alert you to changes affecting your business including sector specific updates
- Premium access to the mobile optimized site for timely analysis that guides you through China's ever-changing business environment
Already a subscriber? Log In Now