Society

Wen Qiang appeal trial ends without verdict

By Jin Zhu and Ma Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-17 07:27

Wen Qiang former deputy police chief of Chongqing municipality stands on trial in Chongqing, May 13, 2010. [Asianewsphoto]

CHONGQING - The second trial of Wen Qiang, former deputy police chief of Chongqing municipality, who was sentenced to death for his involvement with gangs in April, ended without a verdict on Saturday.

Wen had appealed to the Chongqing People's Higher Court against his conviction of protecting gangs, bribery, rape and property fraud.

During his second trial, which began last Thursday, Wen said he was very "pitiable".

Wen stood trial with five other co-defendants, including Wen's wife Zhou Xiaoya and three subordinate police officers.

The court said on Saturday it would choose another day to announce its judgment.

The focus of the second trial was to establish if Wen's crimes deserved maximum penalty.

In the first trial, the court found that Wen accepted 12 million yuan ($1.77 million) from 25 organizations or individuals when he was in power from 1996 to 2009.

Wen said about half of the 12 million yuan should not be deemed as "bribery" as it was offered by friends or relatives to build up social relationships.

With no fresh evidence provided, Wen also continued to deny his role as a "gang protector" and his rape charge.

He said he was unaware of the gang's illegal business and did not rape the girl as she had given her consent, following which she accepted about 7,000 yuan from him.

"I'm very pitiful now and failed to live up to the expectations of the people," Wen said in his final statement in court.

He asked the court to take into consideration his contribution to the city in the past dozens of years.

Wen was also permitted to see his family on Saturday. Weeping, he said he was quite worried about his son who was missing since being placed under investigation last August, local media reported.

Wen's lawyer Yang Kuangsheng said his client deserved lesser punishment, as Jiang Yong, former director of the city's planning bureau, who was convicted of accepting 17.96 million yuan in bribes, only got death with a two-year reprieve last February.

However, prosecutors said the original judgment should be upheld considering the negative social impact of Wen's misconducts.

"In 2004 alone, Wen accepted bribes worth 3.9 million yuan both from his subordinates and criminals. He accepted as much as 10,000 yuan per day on average that year," prosecutors said.

China Daily