While it may be common knowledge that Chengguan officials are susceptible to taking bribes, the issue has yet to come to court in Guangzhou. That is until now. On April 18th, Huangpu District’s Intermediate Court convicted four Chengguan urban management officers for breach of authority. According to the Nanfang Daily, the four officers, three of them named Luo, and one Zhu, were sentenced to between 14 and 18 months imprisonment for accepting bribes and assault.

Originally recruited by the Dasha sub-district committee of Huangpu to supervise street vendors, the officers would dress in camouflage uniforms with red armbands and nightsticks. According to the court, between August 2010 and September of 2011, the four officers would take cigarettes without paying, and demand small cash bribes between 5RMB and 12RMB from street vendors.

A vendor, Shi, testified that he would have to pay for the officers cigarettes almost daily, otherwise he wouldn’t be allowed to set up his stall. Another vendor, Dong, told the court that he had to pay around 300RMB every month for the officer’s cigarettes and had been doing so for close to two years.

Two of the convicted officers plan to appeal.

One of the accused Chengguan officials kisses his son goodbye.