Policemen jailed for torturing suspect
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-05-27 16:00

Two policemen were sentenced Thursday to two years in prison by the court of Hejian City, in north China's Hebei Province, for extracting confession through torture.

The two policemen were Wang Jianjun and Yang Ce, former director and former deputy director of the police substation at the Nanbao development zone of the Tangshan City. Other local policemen were also convicted of the crime of extracting confession through torture, but not given criminal punishment, according to Friday's China Youth Daily.

On July 12, 2002, a couple surnamed Guo, living in Tangshan, Hebei Province, were found severely injured.

After a preliminary investigation, local policemen apprehended Li Jiuming, an officer from neighboring Jidong Prison as a suspect. They had found a gun in Li's home, for which he was charged with illegal possession.

During interrogation, Wang Jianjun and Yang Ce, with the assistance of other policemen, poured capsicum water and mustard oil into Li's mouth and gave him electrical shocks, forcing him to confess that he injured the Guos and was in illegal possession of a gun.

On November 26, 2003, using his confession, Li Jiuming was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by the Tangshan Intermediate People's Court for committing intentional homicide and the crime of illegal gun possession.

Li appealed and on August 11, 2004, the Hebei Provincial Higher People's Court nullified Tangshan's court verdict and ordered a retrial, saying that the testimony was inadequate.

Meanwhile, Cai Mingxin, a criminal suspect in custody in east China's Zhejiang Province, confessed that it was he who robbed the Guos in Nanbao after first injuring them.

Cai's confession was soon proved and Li Jiuming was acquitted and released. Subsequently, seven policemen were prosecuted for torture.

Li Jiuming is now applying for state compensation.

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