Government and Policy

'No mercy' for corrupt officials

By Yan Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-10 07:05

China's top court has pledged to mete out harsher punishments to government employees and officials found guilty of corruption.

The Supreme People's Court issued a circular on the criminal policy of judicial leniency and harshness yesterday, detailing crimes that deserve harsh or lenient punishments.

Sun Jungong, the spokesman for the Supreme People's Court, told reporters that the latest policy aims to "crack down on serious crimes".

"Courts at all levels across the country should consciously implement the policy," he said.

The document singles out government employees and officials as the target of judicial harshness if they are convicted of charges such as embezzlement, bribery and dereliction of duty.

Moreover, no leniency will be granted to officials involved in offenses such as gang crimes, serious work safety accidents and counterfeiting or adulterating food or medicines, according to the document.

It said convicted government employees and officials who insist on pleading not guilty should be given harsher punishments in line with the law.

The move came amid China's efforts to toughen its fight against corruption, which President Hu Jintao said earlier last month was still a "persistent, complicated and arduous" task.

Last year, at least 15 ministerial or provincial level officials, including heads of State-owned enterprises, were investigated for corruption. Among them, nine were prosecuted, including former Supreme People's Court vice-president Huang Songyou, who was sentenced to life behind bars for taking more than 3.9 million yuan ($574,000) in bribes.

(China Daily 02/10/2010 page5)