China flexes muscles to combat corruption
- Source: Xinhua
- [08:34 March 12 2010]
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Cao said the authorities seized more than 1,100 on-the-run suspects involved in work-related crimes, with more than 7.1 billion yuan (about one billion US dollars) embezzled or received in bribes recovered.
NPC deputy Zhu Yong, also a political and law official in the provincial Communist Party committee in the eastern Anhui Province, said strict anti-corruption measures, such as auditing on officials who are leaving their posts, have produced fruitful results in fighting corruption.
However, Zhu said some officials are still vulnerable to the temptation of bribes, and so fighting graft remains a challenge.
Fighting graft is a very difficult task worldwide and cannot be efficiently addressed in a short period of time, Zhu added. VOWS TO CLEAN UP JUDICIARY
Chief Justice Wang Shengjun said courts will take actions on judicial corruption to prevent abuse of judicial power this year after Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), was jailed for life in January for taking bribes and embezzlement.
Huang was convicted of taking more than 3.9 million yuan (about 574,000 US dollars) of bribes from 2005 to 2008.
Wang said nearly 800 court officials were punished for violating laws last year.
Courts at all levels should "learn a lesson" from the case of Huang to pinpoint rooted problems on the management of judges and supervision of power, he said.
Prosecutor-General Cao said the authority will "never relax its efforts" in the crackdown on judicial corruption.
An extensive anti-gang crackdown in southwestern Chongqing municipality since last year revealed a grave situation of judicial corruption. About 200 judicial and public security officials in the city have been found to be implicated.
Wen Qiang, former deputy police chief and head of the justice bureau of Chongqing, stood trial last month. He was accused of raping, taking more than 15 million yuan of bribes to protect criminal gangs, and possessing a huge amount of unexplainable assets.
