China corruption linked to triads

People's National Congress

(CNN) -- More than 2,600 influential officials were last year implicated in crimes including corruption, with triad groups increasingly implicated in this scourge of Chinese administration.

Six ministerial-level cadres were among those included in the figure, indicated the problem tainted even senior levels of government.

In his report to the National People's Congress (NPC) on Monday, the Head of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Han Zhubin also disclosed that 40,195 people were investigated for graft-related crimes in 2001.

The head of the SPP, which handles investigations and prosecutions in the Chinese legal system, also indicated that the state was able to recover losses of 4.1 billion yuan (US$550 million) as a result of timely action by legal officials.

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The best known among the six ministerial-level cadres who lost their jobs was former Governor of Yunnan Province, Li Jiating, who reportedly took bribes worth more than 1 million yuan ($120,000).

Judicial officials said there was a growing link at the NPC between corrupt officials and triad societies, or Chinese-style mafia.

In his report presented Monday to the legislature, the President of the Supreme People's Court Xiao Yang said the courts heard 350 cases of triad activities last year, up 630 percent from 2000.

Lengthy jail terms

The number of suspected triad members put on trial was 1,953, up 380 percent from the year before.

Provincial papers have reported that triads played a key role in the well-publicized corruption cases involving senior officials in Yunnan and Shenyang.

For example, former governor Li Jiating's son, who reportedly pocketed 20 million yuan, was said to be a leader of a triad gang.

However, Han's report also admitted growing problems with the probity of law-enforcement officials.

Four hundred and six officials at various levels of the procuratorate were last year subject to investigation for corruption and other reasons.

Fifty six procuratorate cadres were put on trial for criminal offences.

Among them, head of the Shenyang Procuratorate, Liu Shi, was given a jail term of 20 years for corruption and leaking state secrets.

In his NPC report, Han also said a top priority of law enforcement this year would be to launch "strike hard" campaigns against subversive and anti-government groups, including terrorist and cult organizations.