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Jurisdiction

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The focus was on major cases. Procuratorial organs at various levels placed a total of 18,086 embezzlement and bribery cases, each involving more than 50,000 yuan, on file for investigation. Of the total, 1,335 were big cases each involving more than 1 million yuan. A total of 2,680 officials at and above the county (division) level were investigated for abuse of power. They included 184 officials at the department (bureau) level and seven at and above the provincial (ministerial) level. The handling of the cases involving former Vice-Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Cheng Kejie and others exerted awe-inspiring effects on criminals of their kind, while showing the resolute determination of the Chinese Government in fighting against corruption. While handling the Xiamen smuggling case, procuratorial organs investigated 169 criminal suspects, who were State functionaries, for bribery and abuse of power. Former Vice-Minister of Public Security Li Jizhou accepted huge amounts of briberies from smuggler Lai Changxing and others and abused power to illegally interfere in the investigation of smuggling crimes. Procuratorial organs have completed investigation activities, initiated legal proceedings and transferred his case to the people's court for trial.

Greater efforts were made in cracking down on bribe offering crimes. Of the 9,872 bribery cases that were placed on file for investigation in the year, 1,367 involved bribe offering, up 28 percent.

Measures were intensified in investigating and handling cases involving dereliction of duties and rights infringements. The Supreme People's Procuratorate worked out the Decision on Strengthening the Procuratorial Work Relating to the Cases of Dereliction of Duties and Rights Infringements. A total of 7,930 such cases were placed on file for investigation in 2000, up 45 percent over the previous year. Of the total, 3,360 fell into the new crimes defined by the Criminal Law, such as failing to collect or collecting very little taxes out of favoritism, and conniving at smuggling or the production and sale of shoddy commodities. There were 1,793 cases involving State functionaries infringing upon the personal and democratic rights of citizens by abuse of power. The effort has helped promote law-based administration and strict performance of official duties, and strengthened judicial protection for human rights.

In light of the prominent public security problem and rampant violent crimes in some localities, procuratorial organs have worked in close cooperation with relevant departments to severely punish serious crimes endangering national and economic security and public order. In 2000, they approved the arrest of 715,833 criminal suspects and brought legal proceedings against 708,836 of them.

Measures were taken to sternly crack down on gang organizations and crimes by vicious groups. By the end of January 2001, procuratorial organs had approved the arrest of more than 1,500 suspects involved in gang-related crimes, with a considerable number of unpardonable criminals being given legal punishment.

In the struggle against the Falun Gong cult, procuratorial organs have followed the principles, set by the CPC Central Committee, of "uniting, educating and redeeming the majority of practitioners and cracking down on a small number of key members according to law". They have decided to exempt those, who had committed minor offenses and shown repentance, from prosecution. They have also worked with relevant departments in educating and redeeming them so as to enable them to completely realize the anti-human, anti-society and anti-science nature of the Falun Gong cult. Meanwhile, they have resolutely approved the arrest and prosecution of a small number of criminals who employed the Falun Gong cult as a cover to engage in criminal activities, obstruct the enforcement of laws, cause deaths and organize gatherings to disrupt the public order.

In 2000, procuratorial organs approved the arrest of 19,182 suspects involved in crimes of abduction and trafficking of women and children, and 27,666 suspects involved in crimes related to smuggling, export rebates fraud, and production and sale of fake and shabby commodities.

Efforts were made to conduct close supervision of criminal case filing and investigation. Whenever a case was revealed which had not been filed, procuratorial organs demanded public security organs to give reasons. If the reason was not convincing, they demanded public security organs to put the case on file. In 2000, procuratorial organs urged public security organs to place 20,809 such cases on file, thus redressing the practice of not filing the cases that should be filed, not investigating the offenses that should be dealt with, and replacing penalties with fines. This helped subject a considerable number of criminals who still remained at large to legal punishment. They raised 14,349 cases for correction, which involved improper coercive measures by public security organs, and put forward suggestions for correcting the extended detention of 64,254 people during the stage of investigation, prosecution and trial. Procuratorial organs in Anhui, Hunan, Shanghai and Heilongjiang have introduced a countdown system for detention period as a reminder, thus reducing the number of cases involved extended detention.

Measures were taken to intensify supervision over the adjudication and execution of penalties. In 2000, procuratorial organs challenged 3,798 criminal judgments and rulings, which they deemed wrong. Of them, the courts adjudicated 1,210 cases and changed the rulings in 534 of them. They also lodged protests against court judgments in 16,944 civil and administrative cases. In supervision over execution of penalties, procuratorial organs raised the cases involving 9,318 people for correction, which involved illegal sentence reduction, release on parole and medical parole.

Cases involving judicial personnel taking bribes and bending the law and showing favoritism were severely dealt with. In 2000, a total of 4,626 cases involving the offenses by judicial personnel were filed for investigation. It played an active role in promoting just enforcement of law and purifying the judicial ranks.

Measures were taken to strengthen reexamination of cases involving appeals. In 2000, procuratorial organs handled 27,975 appeals in criminal cases, corrected court judgments in 1,443 cases according to law, which were really wrong, and decided on criminal compensation in 384 cases. In dealing with cases involving correct court judgments, procuratorial organs were patient in making explanations to complainants.

Efforts were made to serve western development. On the basis of investigations and research, the Supreme People's Procuratorate formulated the Proposal on Bringing Procuratorial Functions into Full Play to Serve Western Development. In 2000, procuratorial organs investigated and handled more than 300 cases involving crimes related to abuse of power in key engineering construction, ecological conservation and management of poverty- and disaster-relief funds and materials, and approved the arrest of 3,891 criminal suspects involved in destroying transport, energy and communications infrastructure facilities and damaging ecological environment. They also protected the lawful rights and interests of main players of the market according to law, thus promoting fair competition among different economic elements and creating a sound legal environment for western development.

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