The secret in the seafood box that corrupt Chinese officials gave to their superiors

The first episode of the documentary “Zero Tolerance” aired on China Central Television (CCTV) revealed the bribery, connections with criminal organizations, connections with many other corrupt officials to enrich themselves, and condoning the crimes of relatives of former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Jiangsu Province, Wang Like.

“Now thinking about the crimes I have committed, I feel guilty towards the Party, the State and the people,” said Vuong Lap Khoa.

Wang Like. Photo: CCTV

According to information released by Chinese investigative agencies, when he was the Deputy Director of the Beizhen County Public Security Bureau in Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province in the 1990s, Wang had connections with several local gangs. Later, Wang and a gang leader named Lou He jointly established and managed a casino.

Every year, Lou paid Wang a fee in the name of "donations" to bribe many leaders in Beizhen to turn a blind eye to the casino's activities. The total value of "donations" Lou transferred to Wang over the past decades has reached more than 80 million yuan (CNY).

Boss Lou Ha. Photo: CCTV

Thanks to the illegal profits from the casino, during his more than 20 years working in Liaoning Province, Wang used the money to "take care" of his own career. Resigning from the position of Deputy Director of the Beizhen County Public Security Bureau (1993), Wang climbed to the position of Deputy Director of the Liaoning Provincial Public Security Bureau and Deputy Mayor of Dalian City (2012).

According to CCTV, in 2011, Wang met the man of his life, Sun Lijun, who was then the Deputy Minister of Public Security of China.

“In my eyes, then-Vice Minister Sun Lijun was a very important person and could give me many opportunities for promotion. During Sun’s business trip to Liaoning Province in 2011, I gave him a bank card containing 1 million yuan. At that time, Sun immediately accepted the card,” Wang recalled.

Former Vice Minister Sun Lijun. Photo: CCTV

Since then, Wang Like has arranged to go to Beijing many times to meet Sun, and brought along many bank cards, USD or stocks.

“He arranges to come to Beijing four or five times a year. Every time, Wang brings me $300,000 in a small seafood box. Every time he comes to see me and says he’s bringing me some “seafood,” I immediately know what’s going on,” Sun admitted.

“I did not let him down. Wang was later appointed as Deputy Governor and Director of Jiangsu Provincial Public Security, and then became a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Jiangsu Province. I helped him along his official career, and I considered him as my own soldier,” the former Deputy Minister of Public Security added.

CCTV reported that Wang Like and Sun Lijun then joined other officials, including Chinese Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua, to form a "corrupt official group" of seven members to use their positions and influence in society to support some businesses. In return, the group of officials would collect illegal money or goods from the businesses they helped.

Wang Like, Sun Lijun (circled in red) and members of the corrupt group. Photo: CCTV

According to statistics published by Sina news site, the total assets that corrupt officials Sun Lijun, Wang Like and Fu Zhenghua obtained from accepting bribes from many businesses were 646 million yuan, 440 million yuan and 117 million yuan, respectively.

In addition to the crimes of bribery, collusion with mafia organizations, and association with many other corrupt officials to get rich... Vuong also indulged in allowing his relatives to get rich.

Specifically, Wang Like's older brother, Wang Liwei, who held many positions in the Jinzhou city government, took advantage of his younger brother's power and social status to receive bribes of more than 44.6 million yuan from many businesses and individuals.

Wang Like stands in court. Photo: Baidu

The Intermediate People's Court of Changchun City, Jilin Province, China, sentenced Wang Like to death in September, with a two-year reprieve, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for colluding with gangsters, Xinhua News Agency reported.