Economy
Officers placed under spotlight for corruption
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-05 13:01
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Beijing police are turning their eyes inward for a month-long internal investigation that aims to expose and punish corrupt cops. The crackdown began Friday July 2 and will last for the month.
In particular, authorities will be sniffing out cases of abuse of power with regards to guanxi, or relationships, and money. Any officer found breaking the rules will face disciplinary punishment and could also be fired.
"We are focusing on these key areas and will hand out maximum penalties for misconduct," said Fu Zhenhua, head of Beijing's Public Security Bureau.
He said if officers pass secrets to suspects, they would be fired. If they give out confidential information or handle a case in an unbalanced way, they would be punished and perhaps also fired.
"In addition, if they are found out to get involved in a case for others, or accept any property from others, they will face a disciplinary hearing and, once again, be at risk of losing their job," he said.
Fu said officers who break the law would be sent to a judiciary department and tried for their criminal actions. Following that, the lawbreakers' direct superiors would be held partially accountable and subsequently denied promotions for a fixed period of time.
Zi Xiangdong, a press officer from Public Security Bureau, told METRO on Sunday there would be another four police meetings of similar style this year. "During each meeting, the police will establish a distinct theme with plans to tackle one key problem, considered most problematic by themselves and the public," he said.
When asked by METRO for the reasons behind sudden crackdown, Zi refused to comment. He also would not provide specific figures on the number of corrupt cops or cases.