Lawyer: Oil firm should face criminal charges for leaks

BEIJING - Legal experts have suggested China's maritime authorities file a criminal case against ConocoPhillips China, the operator of the two leaking platforms in Northeast China's Bohai Bay.

The United States energy company could face charges over severe environmental pollution, causing a major accident and illegal mining, Jia Fangyi, an attorney at the Beijing-based Great Wall Law Firm, said on Tuesday.

Jia wrote to the State Oceanic Administration on Monday to suggest the authority, as the direct victim, files a criminal lawsuit against ConocoPhillips. He has so far received no response.