Law amendment targets runaway suspects' illegal assets

A draft amendment to China's Criminal Procedure Law will allow the illegally-obtained assets of suspected corrupt officials or terrorists who have fled or died to be confiscated.

The draft amendment, submitted to the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress for deliberation on Thursday, states that prosecutors can apply with courts to seize the assets of those who have been accused of major crimes related to corruption or terrorism.

But it must be on the condition that the suspects were not seized a year after the issue of an arrest warrant, or died, and the confiscation must be in accordance with China's Criminal Law.

Such confiscations are "special procedures" that have been added to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Law.

Professor Chen Weidong from the Law School of Renmin University said this procedure will help punish the crimes of corruption and terrorism, because criminals' assets will stay intact for a long time if they are on the run or dead as China does not carry out judgement by default.