The Chaoyang procuratorate has accused three employees of major telecom companies and 11 other people of selling private information to debt-collection companies, in a case related to a 2008 murder case.

A Beijing man allegedly paid 2,000 yuan to get the address of another man, surnamed Lu, from an 'investigation company' (which was run by some of the defendants charged by Chaoyang prosecutors), after learning his wife had an affair with Lu. The man posed as an express deliveryman in March 2008 and killed Lu with a knife. The killer was later convicted.

A suspect surnamed Wu told the prosecutors when he used to work for a telecommunication company, he sold personal information, such as names, ages, addresses and call records, of cell phone users registered with that company. Wu said he made about 20,000 yuan in three months selling such information in 2008 and one of his main clients was Zhang Ronghai.

Zhang and two other suspects, Zhang Rongjiang and another man, surnamed Ren, registered five "information consultation" companies in Chaoyang, Haidian and Xicheng districts in Beijing starting in 2004, the prosecutors allege.

The companies then used this information to act as private investors, helping clients spy on their spouses and collect debts, and making more than 1 million yuan in four years, according to prosecutors

Zhang's "information consultation" companies were not involved in the 2008 murder and didn't physically attack their targets, but did go to homes and work places to embarrass and threaten targets, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors accuse other defendants in the case, who allegedly ran their own 'investigation companies', of selling Lu's information to the man who then killed him.

A team from Zhang's companies, however, allegedly tried to collect a 100,000-yuan debt from a man surnamed Song in May 2008. The team allegedly tracked Song and his pregnant wife, and verbally humiliated the couple for two hours at their home.

Song's wife had a miscarriage the following day, which prosecutors say may have resulted from the harassment of Zhang's team.

Qin Hua, partner of the Jiahe Law Office in Beijing, said there is a need for debt-collection companies and private detectives.

"Sometimes the law-enforcement departments are short of personnel to investigate or obtain evidence for civil cases, so citizens need other ways to collect information," Qin said.

Debt-collection companies are allowed under Chinese law, but must not violate others' rights, including privacy rights, Qin said.

"But if what the prosecutors say is true, the telecom company employees broke the law by exchanging their clients' information for money," he added.