By handing out cash rewards for quality tipoffs, China's procuratorates have encouraged more citizens to report evidence of corrupt official behavior in a new drive in the intensifying fight against graft.

The Beijing People's Procuratorate announced on Tuesday that it will pay rewards of as much as 100,000 yuan ($16,100) to those who provide essential evidence of misconduct.

Li Xinsheng, the chief procurator, said the rewards are intended to enhance the public's supervision of officials' behavior and encourage people to report any inappropriate activity.

"Reporting offenses is the people's right by law. It is also an important way for people to fight corruption and abuse of power," said Li, adding that the procuratorate encourages people to report crimes using their real names.

The procuratorate has received more than 4,900 tipoffs since last year, and none of the informants' identities were leaked, Li said.

The highest reward - for a tip about a State official who took a 510,000-yuan bribe - was 20,000 yuan. The official was jailed for six years, Li said.

Other cities, such as Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, are also encouraging tipoffs through rewards.

Ye Yuqiu, deputy chief procurator of Hangzhou People's Procuratorate, said on Tuesday that the city has asked its citizens to join the anti-corruption campaign. The procuratorate will offer up to 100,000 yuan to people who provide useful clues to bring down corrupt officials. For extremely important information, there is no cap for the reward. "Tipoffs from citizens are an important means for us to discover and investigate corruption cases," Ye said.

From January 2013 to May this year, prosecuting departments in the city received 867 reports of possible corruption. Among them, 376 were anonymously reported. Investigative departments have dealt with 561 of the total.

"Many of these clues are of high importance," Ye said.

Ye said prosecutors value reports from citizens, and the procuratorate has established a reporting center to receive them. "For people who report with real names, we promise a serious response," she said. On the first and 15th day of each month, the chief procurator and deputy chief procurator will meet with people who are reporting evidence in person.

Zhang Xin, former deputy chief of Hangzhou Housing Security and Management Bureau, reportedly took bribes of 124 million yuan when he was at his post. He was charged with embezzlement, receiving bribes and abuse of power this month. His case began with reports from citizens.

Jiang Mingan, a professor at Peking University, said encouraging citizens to join the anti-corruption campaign shows the country's determination to root it out.

yanyiqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 06/26/2014 page5)