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September 2, 2014

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Nexus as cops cover up for corrupt officials

POLICE in Zhengyang County of central China’s Henan Province allegedly tampered with statements from suspects to reduce the amount of money stolen from the homes of government officials in an attempt to cover up their corruption, it was reported.

The offense came to light after Zhao Xinghua, Zhengyang’s Party chief, was taken away for questioning over alleged economic crimes in August last year, Legal Evening News reported yesterday.

During the investigation, Zhao revealed that he had more than 1 million yuan (US$162,845) in cash stolen from his home. But when Party disciplinary investigators checked the police records, they found that the stolen amount was given as just 6,040 yuan.

To get a clear picture, authorities in Zhumadian City set up an investigation team in April this year, the paper reported.

Wang Shengli, the gang leader, targeted Zhao’s home on September 30, 2011. Wang and three others were caught in December 2011 while the last suspect was nabbed in February 2013.

Four police officials, including two police squad leaders, Zhu Yudong and Sun Hui, interrogated the group. When Sun heard Wang admitting to stealing such a huge amount of cash from Zhao’s home, he reported to his superiors, who, in turn, informed Zhao, the investigation team found.

In response, Zhao said: “My home was broken into but the amount stolen wasn’t as big as you think. It was just thousands of yuan.”

Taking Zhao’s “hint,” police officials tampered with Wang’s confession by slashing the sum to 6,040 yuan.

An earlier police investigation showed that Wang’s gang of thieves especially targeted officials’ homes and offices. Since September 2011, they had made away with nearly 3 million yuan in cash in more than 50 cases in Shanxi, Anhui and Henan provinces.

The actual amount far exceeded the sum announced by local police, the investigation team found.

In one case, the group stole more than 800,000 yuan from a government official surnamed Wang in Zhumadian’s Pingyu County. But police said he had just lost 300 yuan in cash and seven to eight cartons of cigarettes.

Zhu and Sun have been detained for bending the law for selfish ends and abusing their powers while the other two police officials are awaiting punishment.

Wang and the four others will stand trial in Zhumadian, the paper said.




 

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