(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-22 07:12

Authorities must pay closer attention to government employees who through their dereliction of duty cause State losses, says an article in Dazhong Daily. The following is an excerpt:

Wang Sheng, a former official in the local government of Hai'an County of Jiangsu Province, was recently convicted of negligence of duty by a court.

Besides staying in the jail for six months, Wang was also required to pay 300,000 yuan ($39,473) to the State to compensate the government for losses caused by his dereliction of duty.

This is the first case in the country that a convicted person has ever be asked to compensate the State for losses.

In recent years, there have been numerous examples of State property being lost due to government officials neglecting their duties or taking bribes.

According to official statistics, cases of dereliction of duty by government employees since 2003 had caused property losses of 35.7 billion yuan to the State.

In our legal practice, most government employees convicted of malpractice are only punished according to the criminal law. Property losses to the State caused by their crimes are usually impossible to retrieve. Thus, the force of the law is ineffective, and the punishment not severe enough to deter others.

There are stipulations in our laws requiring better protection of State property, but it lacks details on who should represent the State to retrieve the losses and the legal means that can be used.

When prosecutors in Hai'an County asked for compensation, they were fulfilling their duty in the interests of the public.

Such a request, supported by the court, will serve as a deterrent to other government officials not to neglect their responsibilities.

(China Daily 11/22/2007 page10)