Photo of Batu Menghe

 

A total of 84 people, including 10 deceased, have been held accountable for the convicted killer in 1992 from North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, who never served a day of his sentence despite being given 15 years' imprisonment for murder, which social media users had criticized as "serving a sentence on paper."

The case first caused public concern after media exposed it last September, saying that the 46-year-old murderer, named Batu Menghe from Hulunbuir, who stabbed a man named Bai Yongchun to death in 1992 had been on medical parole ever since being convicted, and never served his penalty term despite being handed 15 years' imprisonment.

What's more, the "paper inmate" became a local government official, joined the Party and served as a deputy in the local people's congress after he illegally obtained his release certificate in 2007.

In 2017, Batu was apprehended again for embezzling government subsidies of 290,000 yuan ($44,326). In 2018, he was eventually sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 200,000 yuan for corruption, combined with the remaining sentence of the original crime of intentional homicide.

An investigation launched by a joint working group of the local authorities last September found that Batu had been illegally released on medical parole and been out of supervision for the long term, illegally obtained his release certificate, illegally joined the Party, and illegally been elected local government official and deputy of the local people's congress. 

The local authorities will take a clear and firm stand in investigating and dealing with violations of disciplines and laws behind the case, determined to investigate it till the end, without one leak, and with all involved severely punished, the local Party committee announced. 

Among the 84 held accountable, eight held leading roles of departments, 24 held leading roles of divisions, 33 had leading roles of sections, nine officials held other positions and the other 10 have passed away, according to the local Party committee and the local political and legislative affairs committee.

The 74 alive held accountable have been given punishments or have been transferred to judicial organs for investigation. 

Global Times