Nineteen suspects have been arrested after China launched a
campaign against "cultural swindlers" last year, the Ministry of
Supervision (MOS) said on Sunday.
Last year, several cultural companies claimed they had relations
with ministries or publishing houses to cheat others to give them
money for conference fees or to buy books, the ministry said.
Eight cultural companies were found to be involved in swindling
activities and 19 suspects were arrested after a joint
investigation by the MOS, the Publicity Department of the Central
Committee of Communist Party of China, the Ministry of Public
Security, State Administration of Industry and Commerce and the
State Press and Publication Administration.
Two suspects Zhao Yong and Chen Yu of Beijing Hongrun Xingye
Culture Development Company pretended they were from the organizing
committee of so-called "Elite Forum of China's Industry and
Commercial Circle".
Eighteen companies were cheated and paid a total of 150,000 yuan
(US$20,660) to Zhao and Chen including the Beijing Donghua Hechuang
Digital Co., Ltd.
The two suspects were arrested on June. 21 last year and the
People's Procuratorate of Beijing's Chaoyang District began court
proceedings against them on Oct. 15.
Cui Suozhu was arrested on Aug. 23 last year. Cui allegedly
fabricated an approved document by the Beijing Olympics Organizing
Committee to the China Travel Service Head Office and asked for a
commission of 260,000 yuan.
Hu Yuanjun posed as a member of staff at the tax bureau and told
several companies in Haidian District they had to subscribe to tax
reference books valued at over one million yuan. All these books
were later found to be illegal publications.
Hu was arrested and handed over to People's Procuratorate of
Haidian District on Oct. 26.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008)