To September this year, a total of 1,980 officials were
investigated by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).
One police officer was sentenced to six months in prison for
failing to follow up a nine-year-old's abduction and rape, the SPP
announced on Sunday.
In May this year, Wu Zhigang was on duty when the girl's parents
called to report that a man had broken into their home in
Changning, Hunan
Province and abducted her. Wu was given the assignment, but
failed to either deal with the case or report it to his
superiors.
Later that night, the girl returned home after having been
raped, but Wu again failed to go after the suspect. On May 27, Wu
was put on file for investigation and on June 7 was prosecuted for
dereliction of duty.
Six police officers from Nanchong, Sichuan
Province were also investigated for ignoring local meat vendors
who purchased diseased pork. Chen Bo, Tian Jintai, Sun Hemin, Liu
Lin, Tang Jianguo and Tan Wengao were sentenced to between one and
two years in prison.
Three local environmental protection officials in Chengdu, also
in Sichuan, were also punished for dereliction of duty. Song
Shiying, Zhang Ming and Zhang Shan had hidden the fact that
Tuojiang River had been severely polluted with industrial
wastewater from nearby factories, causing direct economic losses
worth 219 million yuan (US$26 million).
The SPP said that these investigations and convictions
demonstrate their resolution to crack down on job-related crimes
and to protect human rights.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2004)