On November 7, 2024, the People’s Court of Hengfeng County publicly held the first instance hearing of the bribery case of Li Peixia, former Party Secretary of Shangfang Township, Wannian County.
The case was prosecuted by the People’s Procuratorate of Hengfeng County to the People’s Court of Hengfeng County on September 29, 2024, and the court accepted the case on September 30.
The People’s Procuratorate of Hengfeng County alleged that from April 2019 to February 2024, the defendant Li Peixia, taking advantage of her position as Party Secretary of Shangfang Township, Wannian County, sought benefits for others in matters such as project contracting and payment of project funds, and illegally accepted a total of 1.65 million yuan in property from others. The procuratorial organ requested that Li Peixia be held criminally responsible for the crime of bribery.
According to the People’s Court of Hengfeng County, during the trial, the defendant Li Peixia confirmed in court that she had entrusted a defense lawyer. The court fully guaranteed the litigation rights of the defendant Li Peixia and her entrusted defense lawyer. The procuratorial organ presented relevant evidence, and the defendant Li Peixia and her defense lawyer cross-examined the evidence. The prosecution and defense sides fully expressed their opinions under the auspices of the court. Li Peixia made a final statement and expressed her guilt and remorse in court.
At the end of the trial, the court announced a recess and would pronounce the verdict at a later date. More than 30 people, including representatives of the People’s Congress, members of the CPPCC, media reporters, relatives of the defendant, and people from all walks of life, attended the trial.
In July of this year, Mao Qi, the Party Secretary of Wannian County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, was reported by the father of Li Peixia, the former Party Secretary of Shangfang Township, through the Internet, for allegedly sexually assaulting his daughter. Li’s father said that Li Peixia had said that she would go to the province to report Mao Qi, but three days later she was taken away and detained by the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission of Wannian County.
On August 18, the joint investigation team of the Shangrao Municipal Party Committee issued a notice stating that Li Peixia violated the Party’s political discipline, the spirit of the Central Eight Provisions, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, mass discipline, and life discipline, and took advantage of her position to seek benefits for others in project contracting, payment of project funds, etc., and illegally accepted property, constituting serious job-related violations and suspected bribery crimes. After being approved according to the procedures, Li Peixia was given the punishment of expulsion from the Party and dismissal from public office, and her suspected criminal issues were transferred to the procuratorial organs for legal review and prosecution.
The notice also stated that after investigation, it was found that Mao Qi had the problem of using his power to influence and have improper sexual relations with Li Peixia, and Li Peixia violated life discipline in order to adjust her position and promotion.
On November 3, Mao Qi was “double-opened”.
The relevant notice stated that after investigation, Mao Qi, as a leading cadre of the Party, lost his ideals and beliefs, betrayed his original mission, was not loyal and honest to the Party, played double-dealers, and played double-dealers; violated the spirit of the Central Eight Provisions, accepted banquets and tourism arrangements that may affect the impartial performance of official duties; violated organizational discipline, did not truthfully explain problems when the organization inquired, and illegally sought benefits for others in cadre personnel work; violated integrity discipline, engaged in power-for-power transactions, and illegally accepted gifts and money; violated life discipline, and had improper sexual relations with others; engaged in large-scale power-for-money transactions, and used his position to seek benefits for others in project contracting, fund disbursement, etc., and illegally accepted a huge amount of property.
The notice also stated that Mao Qi’s suspected criminal issues were transferred to the procuratorial organs for legal review and prosecution, and the property involved was also transferred.
Li Peixia’s case also saw a conflict between family-entrusted lawyers and “official-appointed lawyers”.
In August of this year, Li Songmei, a lawyer from Beijing Jingshi (Shanghai) Law Firm, and Guo Rui, a lawyer from Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm, announced that they had been entrusted by Li Peixia’s family to serve as defense lawyers in Li Peixia’s case of suspected job-related crimes, but were obstructed from meeting.
The comment “To be governed by law” believes that the Mao Qi and Li Peixia incidents in Wannian, Jiangxi, are a scandal in officialdom that is worth dissecting and warning. The Li Peixia case is also a touchstone for the rule of law in Jiangxi.
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