Three police officers stood trial Friday morning in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province for alleged abuse of power and dereliction of duty, said local authorities.
Zhang Gequn, Fan Deyan and Zhang Xiuli were tried at the Songbei District People's Court of Harbin, Heilongjiang's capital.
The Procuratorate of Songbei District alleged that Zhang Gequn, former director of the prison in Yanshou County, acted beyond his power to change the rules and reduce the number of guards on night shift from two to one.
Zhang Xiuli, former deputy director of the Yanshou public security bureau, is suspected of being negligent in inspections. Fan, vice director of the prison, allegedly failed to uncover rule violations by guards, said the procuratorate.
According to the procuratorate, Duan Baoren, a prison guard, violated rules on September 2 of last year by taking inmate Gao Yulun to the interrogation room alone at night and leaving the door open. Gao, who had been awaiting execution for intentional homicide, attacked Du while two other prisoners rushed out to join him.
The trio fled after killing Duan. They were later captured and tried last month.
Both trials are still awaiting verdicts.
