Text messages lead to flood of graft tip-offs

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-7-16  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

PROSECUTORS in southwest China say they have received more reports of corruption in the past three weeks than they received for the whole of last year - thanks to text messages offering rewards for tip-offs.

The procuratorate in Beibei District, Chongqing Municipality, sent messages to 370,000 mobile phone users offering rewards from 3,000 yuan (US$440) to 500,000 yuan for information leading to the conviction of corrupt officials and giving details of a tip-off hotline.

Since the text messages were sent on June 25, prosecutors had received more than 40 reports of corruption, as compared with the annual average of 30 to 40, said Wang Xiaoxiong, an official of the procuratorate.

He said the text messages had substantially raised public awareness of the fight against corruption and the hotline had been very busy.

"Many people did not know how to report corrupt activities, while some chose to keep silent. Now the messages give them a tip-off hotline and the offer of rewards to stimulate their enthusiasm," Wang said.

The procuratorate raised its maximum reward for informants from 50,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan last month to encourage public participation in fighting corruption.

It was currently investigating two cases reported by people who received the mobile phone messages, according to Wang.

China has strengthened its anti-corruption fight in recent years, with the downfall of former Shanghai Communist Party chief Chen Liangyu and other senior officials.

The government also established the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention to intensify the fight and conduct additional international exchanges in the field.