he crime is expected to continue rising in 2013, academy saysThe number of people convicted of dereliction of duty soared in China last year, according tonew research by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and cases are expected to continuerising in 2013.
Tackling corruption has become a key government policy, since the Party's 18th NationalCongress in November, with investigations being launched into several high-profile figures,including Bo Xilai, the former Party chief of Chongqing, and ex-railways minister Liu Zhijun.
China's new leadership has underlined how it plans to work side by side with citizens inexposing corruption.
Reports increase Reports of economic crimes rapidlyincreased in 2012 during a six-monthcampaign by Chinese public securityauthorities, an ysis shows. From March to August last year, policecracked about 229,000 cases, more thantwice the number in 2011, and recoveredeconomic losses of 54.5 billion yuan ($8.7billion), according to a report by the ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences. According to the Supreme People'sProcuratorate, 53,558 people were arrestedfor damaging the Chinese economy betweenJanuary and October 2012, a 59.4 percentyear-on-year increase. Illegal fundraising, illegally seizing publicdeposits and organized pyramid schemeswere the main crimes and happened inareas such as telecommunications, touriand financing, said the report. Meanwhile, crimes involving food andmedicines in 2012 were serious and beganextending to suburban areas, according tothe report. In addition, production and sale ofcounterfeit items were still rising, the reportsaid. Police from China and the United Stateroke a large gang infringing on othercountries' intellectual property rights lastyear, confiscating more than 20,000 fakefamous-brand bags involving around 5billion yuan. - Cao Yin |
Work stepped up
The Supreme People's Procuratorate hasordered prosecuting departments nationwideto enhance work to prevent duty-relatedcrimes, according to a notice it issued onMonday.
The notice said the departments will workclosely with relevant administrativeauthorities to protect the safety ofgovernment investment, and take theinitiative in following up and monitoringconstruction of major projects.
Priority will go to projects with large-scaleinvestment, especially ones of greatsignificance in maintaining economic growth,to ensure they remain safe and corruption-free, said Song Hansong, director of theduty-related crimes prevention departmentunder the SPP.
The notice said prosecuting departmentsshould pay attention to ysis ofconditions and causes behind job-relatedcrimes in key sectors, including construction,finance, traffic, education and health.
Meanwhile, the SPP will help set up a systemto prevent conflicts of interest, and will alsoensure transparency, Song said.
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The academy's report said from January to June, theauthorities handled 30,694 cases related to derelictionof duty, a 15.3 percent year-on-year increase.
It added that 13,044 people were charged withthe crime, 29 percent more than in 2011.
Jin Gaofeng, the report's main researcher, saidthe more effort the government makes intackling corruption, the more cases are likely toemerge.
"Many cases do not involve just one official," hesaid.
"In many investigations by prosecutors or thedisciplinary authorities, a graft network is found,and that's why the figures for such crimes arelikely to rise further."
Most dereliction of duty cases, especiallyinvolving people taking bribes, have a "latentperiod" when prosecutors and disciplinaryofficers carry out their investigations, he said,adding that other related cases can emerge.
Jin, an associate professor specializing incriminology at the People's Public SecurityUniversity of China, said the greater number ofduty crimes coming to light is also thanks towhistle-blowers' reports or just hints of crimeeing posted on the Internet.
Besides, prosecuting and disciplinaryauthorities conducted stricter investigations,and civil powers to battle the problem have alsobeen expanded, he said.
There have been several high-level corruptionor illegal behavior cases involving officials,exposed over the Internet. Jin highlighted two.
Yang Dacai, a former head of work safety inShaanxi province, was relieved of his dutiesafter Internet whistle-blowers accused him ofamassing luxury watches. He was exposed afterpictures showed him grinning at the scene of aroad accident in which 36 people died.
There was also the case of Lei , then-Party chief of Chongqing's Beibei district, whowas removed from his post after apparentlyfeaturing in a sex video, again exposed bymicro bloggers.
Jin said these types of cases are likely tocontinue rising this year.
Yi Shenghua, a Beijing lawyer with more than10 years' experience in dealing with duty crime,agreed that the focus will remain on suchcases.
Last year, most cases involved bribe-taking,often involving land, demolition, or housetransferals, he said, adding that he expectedcases involving high-level officials and largesums of money to become a focal point.
But Zhu Lijia, a professor of governmentadministration at the Chinese Academy ofGovernance, thought that as a result of somehigh-profile exposures, cases are unlikely torise this year.
"Those who might have potentially taken bribesor been involved in corruption will think twiceabout it under the crackdown."
Previously, some disciplinary authorities hadavoided investigating or prosecuting, despiteknowing that officials were involved, because ofthe loopholes that helped many take bribes.
However, with the emphasis being placed on the subject during the congress, negativepractices or ignorance of the issue will also be exposed, Zhu said.
"In other words, stricter supervision and investigation requires the authorities to come more intoplay."
