BEIJING: Fu Zhenghua's trial began on Thursday for accepting a bribe of more than 100 million yuan ($14.9 million) and concealing his brother's alleged crimes. Fu Zhenghua was once one of the most powerful police chiefs in China.
Fu, 67, pleaded guilty to all charges when he appeared before the Changchun Intermediate People's Court in the northeastern province of Jilin on Thursday.
While serving in several high-ranking positions from 2005 to 2021, prosecutors charged Fu as deputy head and director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau and deputy minister of public security, which is responsible for managing the country's police forces. . Accepting huge amounts of bribes" totaling 117 million yuan and abusing their power.
Before entering semi-retirement in May 2020, Fu served as Minister of Justice and a member of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. He then accepted a position with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an important advisory body.
According to Changchun prosecutors, Fu Zhenghua took advantage of "his official authority or position to obtain benefits for others in business transactions, official capacities and legal matters and [in return] illegally accepted money and gifts .. Either directly or through his relatives."
In addition, as director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau from 2014 to 2015, Fu was accused of concealing evidence of alleged crimes committed by his brother, Fu Weihua, and of failing to handle the case in accordance with the law.
According to prosecutors, because of this, Fu Weihua was not prosecuted for a long time and the situation was extremely serious.
No official statement has been made about Fu Weihua's status, and the court declined to provide further details, explaining that while the bribery portion of the trial was public, the rest of the proceedings were closed to the media. Because they contained the secrets of the state.
At trial, Fu pleaded guilty and expressed regret. The court announced a pause and said the sentence would resume later.
In 2021, Fu was under investigation as part of a purge of top judicial and law enforcement officials. In March of this year, he was expelled from the Communist Party, stripped of his public office, and later in April his arrest was confirmed.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's anti-corruption watchdog, declared that Fu had "completely abandoned his ideals and beliefs, never remained loyal to the party and the people, and joined his party in April." returned." completely lost soul and principles".
Fu, a native of the northern province of Hebei, once had a bright political future. Just a few months after taking over as the city's police chief in 2010, he gained notoriety with a high-profile raid on Beijing's upscale Passion nightclub.
He was selected in 2013 to lead the investigation into former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was sentenced in 2015 to life imprisonment for corruption and abuse of authority.
But between 2016 and 2018, Fu's career suffered a setback, beginning with the loss of his position as deputy director of the party's top security body, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission and the police force. continued with his discharge from
In 2018, he was appointed Minister of Justice, but that position was seen as a lesser authority than his previous police chiefs as it mainly involved lawyers and overseeing prisons.
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