Gang boss, former police chief stand trial
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An alleged ringleader and his protector, a former police chief, stood trial Sunday on gang-related charges in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
Wang Xiaojun, the alleged ringleader, faces eight charges, including organizing and leading a criminal gang, organizing prostitution, running casinos, intentionally injuring people, bribery, detaining people under false pretenses, destroying accounting vouchers and account books and tax evasion.
Li Hanbin, a former policeman responsible for the mob crackdown by the Chongqing Municipal Police Bureau, was charged with taking bribes worth 260,000 yuan (38,067 U.S. dollars) and protecting the gang, said the prosecutors.
The trial would last four days in Chongqing's No. 5 Intermediate People's Court.
Wang and his 22 gang members allegedly gained 59 million yuan from organizing prostitution rings between 2004 and 2009 and 23 million yuan from running casinos between 2001 and 2008, said the prosecutors.
Prosecutors accused Wang of offering bribes worth 1.28 million yuan to officials including Wen Qiang, a municipal justice official, and others between May, 2004 and 2009.
Wen, 55, was charged with bribery, rape and gang affiliations. He stood trial at the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court between Feb. 2 and 7. The court spokesman said a verdict would be announced at a later date.
