Society

Former top policeman admits bribes

By Qiu Quanlin (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-21 08:17

HEYUAN, Guangdong: A former top police officer accused of accepting 18 million yuan ($2.6 million) in bribes confessed to his crimes when his trial opened yesterday.

Ye Shuyang, former director of the public security bureau of Shaoguan, Guangdong province, also allegedly acquired a huge amount of property worth more than 16 million yuan over the past two decades.

The 54-year-old lowered his head in silence when the trial opened in Heyuan Intermediate People's Court yesterday.

"I grew up in a very poor rural family. I used to be a very honest official. But now I have to plead guilty," he said.

Ye, born in the mountainous Xinfeng county of Guangdong, was promoted to the Shaoguan public security bureau in 2002.

Ye reportedly had set a goal of accumulating 60 million yuan - 20 million yuan for his son, 20 million yuan for his daughter and son-in-law, and 20 million for his own retirement.

Police discovered six safety cashboxes in a two-story luxury apartment in Ye's hometown.

In addition to accepting bribes from local contractors and subordinate officers, Ye was also charged as being a "protective umbrella" for local drug, betting and pornography gangs.

Ye allegedly helped a suspected drug trafficker, Sun Haorong, obtain a guarantor for a loan and also get bail as Sun waited for trial in a major cross-border drug trafficking case in 2006.

Ye allegedly accepted more than HK$8 million in bribes after Sun, who is still at large, was released from prison.

"I wanted to return the money, but they (contractors and gang members) did not accept," Ye told judges.

Prosecutors also said yesterday Ye voluntarily surrendered to justice officials during the investigation.

But Ye, who was detained in August 2008, still has not revealed how he acquired those unidentified properties.

At the same court, Jiang Haiwen also stood on trial yesterday for allegedly being involved in Ye's case.

Jiang, Ye's cousin and also a former official with the Zhenjiang district court of Shaoguan, was accused of accepting 280,000 yuan in bribes when he acted as a go-between for Ye.

The court invited more than 20 reporters and 20 of Ye's family members and friends to the trial yesterday. But his family members refused any comment.

No verdict was announced for either case. The trial will continue today.