Party leaders send general’s case to the Military Procuratorate for prosecution

(Boxun, Beijing, Monday June 22, 2015)

[Bowen News Service exclusive]: After extensive debate, the Chinese Communist Party leadership has decided to handle serious accusations against Gen. Guo Boxiong, former Central Military Commission vice chairman, by sending his case to the military procuratorate for prosecution. This will be publicly announced in the next few days. But because the case involves military secrets, the trial will not be held in public. General Guo was formally arrested for investigation on April 10, 2015 and is now being held in Beijing’s notorious Qincheng Prison.

In early May this news service exclusively reported that General Guo Boxiong was formally detained on April 10, 2015 for investigation. When he would be put on trial has been a subject of intense speculation. There were reports that there were two views inside the Communist Party and military on how to handle this case: One view opposed trying Generals Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong in public (Xu’s death from cancer has obviated the need to try him), for fear of completely discrediting the previous Central Military Commission.

But the latest news is that a Communist Party group led by Party leader Xi Jinping has decided that Guo’s case will be announced to the public. Because Guo’s case involves military secrets, the trial will not be heard in public. But the fact of the trial and the verdict will be made public.

It’s reported that when Guo Boxiong was Central Military Commission vice chairman, he was in charge of General Staff and General Armaments and had final say on promotion of high-ranking military officers of the two systems. He is suspected of accepting large bribes for these promotions. The price was categorized by rank. It cost ¥5-10 million to become a major general, ¥10-30 million to become a lieutenant general. Whoever bid the most got promoted. One major general in the Nanjing Military Region offered Guo ¥10 million in seeking to become a lieutenant general. But after Guo had already agreed to the deal, another major general offered him ¥20 million and Guo gave him the promotion instead.

Guo also made a fortune through arms sales. The People’s Liberation Army General Staff had a secret operation in Guangzhou, whose original responsibility was to collect intelligence on Southeast Asia, but it became a center of illicit arms sales, with the General Staff allegedly dividing the spoils. Guo’s family, including his son, daughter-in-law, younger brother and others are presently under investigation for abuse of power.

Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese Communist Party has announced two groups of “tigers” (corrupt officials) in the military who were put under investigation. More than 30 officers above the rank of major general have been purged. Among them is Guo Boxiong’s son, 45-year-old major general Guo Zhenggang. In the past few days China Central Television, Xinhua News Service, and other official mouthpieces have shone the spotlight on Guo Boxiong’s younger brother, Shaanxi Province Department of Civil Affairs director Guo Boquan, reporting major dereliction of duty and corruption in his department. The news of Guo Boxiong’s stone commemoration tablet being removed from the Laoshan Mountain battlefield “Generals’ Glade” on the border between China and Vietnam is also a signal that Guo Boxiong’s case is about to be dealt with.

Sources say that after Guo Boxiong’s case, the Chinese Communist Party will slow down the tiger hunting among the top ranks of the military, followed by reform of the army. This news service has learned that the reforms will involve readjustment of military benefits and entitlements, as well as restructuring of the PLA Army, Air Force, Navy, Second Artillery Corps and other branches of the military. Professionalization and specialized training will be stepped up.