29 October 2014
Case against a corrupt former general was moved to trial on Tuesday. The investigators announced that a People’s Liberation Army commander, former Gen. Xu Caihou, has admitted to taking large amounts in bribe for giving promotions in the army in return. He had been taking bribes himself as well as through his family members.
He is the second highest ranking official after Zhou Yongkang, former head of domestic security, to be charged with bribery.
The military prosecutors announced that they have completed their enquiry on Mr. Xu Caihou and were considering whether to put him on trial. A trial seems to be inevitable.
Xinhua in a brief report said that Mr. Xu has confessed to his crimes of taking bribes. He was stripped of his title and expelled from the military.
Until stepping down in late 2012, Mr. Xu was a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Buying of senior positions in the military was not new in China. It leads to talents being sidelined and damages the moral of the military.
China had stepped up crackdown on corruption in the military as early as 1990. China also banned the military from engaging in large-scale business activity. Despite these regulations the military has been engaging in commercial activities due to lack of check and supervision. It should be recognized that the army had been running vast business empires in the past. These were classified as state run enterprises.
All these have changed since President Xi Jinping came to power. He is going after large “tigers” as well as small “flies” engaged in corruption.
Xinhua also announced that the law makers will speed up the national anti-corruption legislation which would facilitate prevention and punishment of corruption.
The highest prosecuting office in China has announced that it will put in place a whistleblower protection plan to further its ongoing war against corruption.
Last year the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had set up a new website for whistleblowers. It has also set up a telephone hotline for whistleblowers to report corruption crimes. There is a perception among the public that a report by a whistleblower will be ignored and that there will be severe retaliation against whistleblowers. The new whistleblower protection program is to allay the public fear and to identify the corrupt officials for investigations. In October and investigative journalist who file a report on a state-owned equipment maker was sentenced to prison for defamation and bribery. Several bloggers who posted allegation on line have also faced abuse and harassment. One blogger was stabbed and another had acid thrown on his back.
The new regulations are intended to protect the genuine whistleblowers and to punish irresponsible whistleblowers who make false reports to take vengeance against someone.
You may wish to read the previous article on Xu Caihou – CHINA: HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL EXPELLED FOR CORRUPTION
UPDATE
16 March 2015
Xu Caihou died Sunday due to cancer. He was Chinese military’s former second-highest ranking officer who was being investigated by authorities for taking bribes and brokering promotions.
Xu died of bladder cancer which was in very advanced stage, having spread throughout the body, had led to multiple organs failure.
Military prosecutors decided not to sue Xu anymore. They will deal with his illegal gains in due course, Xinhua reported, citing a statement from the military procurate.
