High-profile corruption trial underway
- Source: Global Times
- [03:42 February 03 2010]
- Comments
Former deputy police chief Wen Qiang stands trial Tuesday in Chongqing. Photo: Xinhua
By Huang Jingjing
The trial began Tuesday of a former deputy police chief in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality who stands charged with rape and taking massive bribes to protect gang operations for years.
Wen Qiang, 55, served as deputy police chief for 16 years until 2008 and was head of the municipal Judicial Bureau for about a year until his arrest in August. In addition to the rape charge, he is accused of accepting bribes to harbor criminal gangs and owning huge amounts of assets he couldn't justify.
According to a 50-page indictment, authorities say Wen took bribes worth a total of 16 million yuan ($2.4 million) from gangs, government officials and businessmen. The money was allegedly funneled through his wife Zhou Xiaoya.
The Fifth Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality is hearing the trial, which was expected to last four or five days.
Individual bribes allegedly ranged from 1,000 yuan in cash to a painting worth 3.6 million yuan.
Authorities said Wen received 8.8 million yuan by selling official posts and 6.3 million yuan for helping businesses and individuals win construction bids or avoid police prosecution for various crimes.
Chongqing launched a massive crackdown on criminal gangs and their "umbrellas" in June. Wen was the highest-ranking official arrested for alleged involvement with the city's underworld element.
To complicate matters, his sister-in-law, Xie Caiping, was known as the "Godmother" of the Chongqing underworld. The 46-year-old was sentenced in November to 18 years in prison for organizing and leading a gang, running illegal gambling, harboring people taking illegal narcotics, illegal detention and bribing officials.
Since the crackdown, local authorities have arrested 1,176 people and prosecuted 782, including more than 100 police officers, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Wen's property has been valued at 30 million yuan. Of that, prosecutors say, 16 million came from illegal gains, 4 million came from his legal income and 10 million can't be explained.
Wen, proclaiming his innocence to the court, said he never exchanged favors for money.
"Most of the money came as gifts from friends for my birthdays and Chinese New Year visits. When they gave money, they didn't raise any requests or demands," Wen said.
Wen stressed that his wife, who is being tried with him, received most of the money, and he was unaware of how much that was.
Three other senior former Chongqing police officers also stood trial Tuesday, charged with offering Wen bribes for promotions.
Huang Daiqiang, former deputy head of the Criminal Police Department of the municipal police bureau, was accused of having offered 830,000 yuan and an Omega watch worth 120,000 yuan.
Zhao Liming, former deputy head of criminal investigations, allegedly offered Wen 270,000 yuan in cash and a painting of green mountains and blue waters worth an estimated 3.64 million yuan.
Chen Tao, former deputy head of public order, was accused of having given Wen a total of 4.65 million yuan.
