"I'm moral because I take bribes selectively--I only take bribes from the rich." That's what Chen Peng, an official being investigated for corruption, wrote in his confession. Beijing News comments:
Corrupt officials always make ridiculous statements such as bribery promotes economic growth or bribery stabilizes society.
By bribing officials, the person giving the bribe hopes to gain from the deal, such as being given the right to monopolize a local industry. In some cases, the bribes are given to officials in order to get contracts for urban development projects, such as the construction of a bridge or a building. They will use bad-quality materials and hire unqualified workers to save money and get more profit, which is a direct threat to people's safety.
Just like Ren Jianming, a professor at Beihang University who studies corruption, said, "Those who give bribes always want 10 times more in return."
Besides, even if you do not need to purchase the goods or use the services of those who give bribes to get a favor, as long as you pay tax you are a victim, too. For example, Cao Yong, former mayor of Huainan in East China's Anhui province accepted a bribe worth 21.47 million yuan ($3.2 million) while he was in office, but he caused a loss of 1.5 billion yuan to the State. Therefore, everybody is a victim of Cao's corruption.
Chen's logic is thus ridiculous. Maybe he was trying to find an excuse for himself, but such an excuse doesn't hold water. Bribery is a very serious crime because it hurts the normal economic order of society and can harm anyone and everyone. Chen's excuse cannot be the reason for him to get a lighter punishment.
