Lawyers face scrutiny for gang involvement

By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-20 10:37

Some lawyers in Chongqing are under investigation for their involvement in mafia-style gangs, local media has reported.

Organized-gang trials are still going on following the massive police operation that resulted in the arrests of alleged gangsters and the police officers who reportedly protected them. In addition, some lawyers, who allegedly either helped the gangsters or committed crimes by colluding with judges and police, are also facing a crackdown.

Zhou Litai, a Chongqing-based lawyer, was quoted as saying that he knows that at least 10 lawyers are being investigated following the crackdown on mafia organizations.

Hu Yanyu, chief partner of Zhibo law firm in Chongqing from 2001 to 2008, was a well-known lawyer in Chongqing. She is said to be the mistress of Wu Xiaoqing, former director of the enforcement bureau of Chongqing Higher People's Court. He was arrested for helping gangsters in an illegal auction of land in July.

"Actually it's a open secret within the legal circle in Chongqing. Hu made a lot of money with Wu's help, and she got most of the case resources from Wu," Zhou said.

Hu Yanyu is said to be now working in the Dacheng law firm in Beijing.

Another lawyer, Hou Jie, partner of Yujian lawyer firm in Chongqing, was arrested for bribing a police officer to "alleviate the crime" of a gangster.

Hou Jie used to be a prosecutor of Chongqing Procuratorate and became a lawyer in 1998.