Prosecutors step up fight against graft

Prosecuting departments in East China's Jiangsu province have worked together with government agencies and the public to establish a joint duty crime prevention system to fight against corruption.

Lin Zhimei, director of the duty crime prevention department at the Nanjing People's Procuratorate, said the provincial capital established the duty crime prevention working committee in June, consisting of 25 governmental departments.

Under the supervision and coordination of the working committee, Lin said almost all Party and government authorities and large and medium-sized State-owned enterprises have established leading panels to monitor duty crime including corruption, bribery and malfeasance. Non-State-owned enterprises have also appointed liaison officers responsible for monitoring corruption.

"Awareness of the importance of public involvement and the establishment of an effective monitoring system are two crucial steps for preventing duty-related crimes," she said.

Under the campaign, crime prevention officers from the procuratorate will actively engage in projects and the daily operations of these organizations.

They will offer advice to government departments and organizations, helping them prevent corruption or detect crimes at an early stage to prevent bigger losses, Lin said.

She said local prosecuting agencies have also sent representatives to universities, communities and even rural areas to offer legal knowledge to the general public.

Thanks to these efforts, the number of duty crimes investigated in Nanjing has continued to decline in recent years, Lin said. In 2000 about 300 duty-related crimes were investigated, and the number dropped to 200 in 2003 and 160 in 2011.