Beijingers are being encouraged with cash incentives to report job-related crime in government organizations.

The Beijing People's Procuratorate said that, on average, it begins investigating a new corruption-related case everyday.

On Monday, 140,000 yuan (US$16,870) was given to 29 work units and six individuals for reporting cases which proved to be true.

The biggest reward was 80,000 yuan (US$9,600), sources with the Beijing People's Procuratorate said.

About 40 cases have already been reported by informants.

After being filed as lawsuits, investigated by procuratorates and sentenced by the courts, a total of 25 million yuan (US$3 million) has been saved for the country.

The incentive system was set up in 1999 to encourage the public to play the role of watchdog, watching what government officials are doing. Monday's rewards were handed to informants who had contributed to cases from 2003 until now.

Sources from the Beijing People's Procuratorate said that from 2003 to the beginning of this year, 692 job-related cases in total including the 40 reported by informants have been placed on file for investigation.

They cover corruption, the taking of bribes and embezzlement, with almost 800 people allegedly involved.

Among the 692 cases, 517 were considered serious cases involving 1 million yuan (US$120,000) or more. Cases involving officials at or above the level of division chiefs are categorized as major cases. There were 189 of those.

Among cases handled by the Beijing People's Procuratorate in the last two years are notorious ones, such as those involving Bi Yuxi and Zhao Shuangju.

Bi Yuxi was deputy director of the Beijing Communications Bureau. He was handed a death penalty with a two-year reprieve due to bribes of more than 60 million yuan (US$7.2 million).

Zhao Shuangju was director of the Beijing Power Supply Bureau. He was arrested in September 2004 for alleged dereliction of duty that caused economic losses of US$55 million.

(China Daily June 23, 2005)