Prosecutors allege ex-official took bribes to protect gangs

CHONGQING: Another former senior police official in this municipality is facing charges of accepting bribes from mafia-style gangs and providing them protection.

The trial follows on the heels of the hearing for Wen Qiang, the municipality's former deputy police chief and director of the justice bureau, which ended on Sunday.

Peng Changjian, former deputy director of the municipal public security bureau and reportedly a close ally and protege of Wen, was also accused of possessing 4.6 million yuan ($680,000) from unexplainable sources.

Prosecutors at the Chongqing No 1 Intermediate People's Court said that from 1998 to 2009, Peng accepted 4.7 million yuan in bribes, of which 1.4 million yuan was offered by three gang bosses to buy protection.

Peng, 46, is the latest top police officer standing trial for links with gangs, along with four others including Wen Qiang.

Chongqing's massive anti-gang operation, which has already seen at least nine gang members sentenced to death, also revealed corruption in the judiciary. According to former Chongqing mayor Wang Hongju, the operation had implicated 200 legal officials.

More trials of senior judicial officials are yet to start.

Among them, media has reported the arrest or prosecution of the former head of the municipal traffic police division, Chen Honggang, the municipal procuratorate's deputy chief prosecutor, Mao Jianping, and the ex-director of the enforcement bureau of the municipal higher people's court, Zhang Tao, for their connection with gangs.

A professor from the Chinese People's Public Security University said police protective umbrellas sheltering gangs may be found elsewhere in the country.

"But Chongqing's case, which went so far and was so extensive, is not a reflection of the nation's situation," said professor Wang Dawei.

Anti-corruption efforts by the Party discipline commission and judicial authorities should be reinforced and a better understanding of the danger of organized gangs is needed to prevent gangs from growing as sophisticated and powerful as mafias in foreign countries, Wang said.

Prosecutors yesterday said Peng abused his power to help bribers secure promotions and win construction bids when he was director of the Yuzhong district police bureau, and deputy director of the municipal bureau between 1998 and 2009.

Among the total, 1.4 million yuan in bribes was offered by gang bosses Ma Dang, Yue Ning and Wang Xiaojun, according to prosecutors.

They alleged the money had bought protection from Peng for three clubs - owned by the bosses and housing prostitutes, gamblers or drug users - from 2002 to 2009.

Both Wen and Peng admitted in separate trials that they had been to the venues, which are well known among locals as "red-light districts", and did not arrange a single police investigation into them.

Nonetheless, prosecutors said Peng often invited senior officials of the Yuzhong district police bureau to sit together for dinners with gang boss Ma Dang during traditional Chinese festivals.

Responding to the "gang protector" accusation, Peng said he himself "could not be persuaded to accept it".

He added he was not aware at the time that the three were gang bosses.

Though acknowledging he accepted several bribes, he insisted the amount calculated by prosecutors was inaccurate.

Moreover, Peng said part of the money he received was gifts and should be separate from bribes, since contributors did not ask for favors from him.

(China Daily 02/09/2010 page3)