Claiming connections to the Communist Party’s anti-corruption agency, a retired teacher in southwest China swindled people by collecting gifts and bribes in exchange for pretending to submit their reports about corruption to higher authorities.
The suspect, surnamed Feng, claimed that he was an employee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) assigned to a local investigation team in the city of Zhaotong, Yunnan Province.
Investigation teams have been deployed by the CCDI in many local governments, institutions, and state-owned enterprises to assist in the Chinese regime’s two-year-old anti-corruption campaign. Over the last two years, hundreds of thousands of officials and executives in the Party, government, and businesses have been sacked or investigated for corruption.
According to the state-run China News, Feng targeted people looking to report corruption cases to the CCDI. He claimed that he could assist in submitting materials to the central authorities. One of his victims, surnamed Duan, told reporters that Feng claimed he could use family connections—his uncle allegedly worked a higher position in the CCDI— to speed up the bureaucratic processes.
In exchange for this “service,” however, Feng would request expensive gifts—fine wine, cigarettes, clothing, and other luxury items—from his clients. Feng would claim to edit their submitted materials, and told them to wait for further news.
Beginning late 2013 (when the anti-corruption campaign was kicked off), Feng tricked about ten assistance seekers before his recent arrest this April.
Duan, who is a recent victim, reported Feng to local police on April 18. He claimed that Feng had cheated him of at least 50,000 yuan (about $8,000).
