Report from Epoch Times, August 4, 2026: A creditor in Handan, Hebei Province, bravely stepped forward to accuse the local court’s executive director, Guo Hongbo, of allegedly soliciting bribes and harassing the creditor late at night. Currently, Guo Hongbo has been suspended pending investigation. However, the creditor previously accused court staff of blocking, assaulting, and humiliating her, but the official investigation conclusion has not been made public, sparking public attention and concern.
According to the Xin Huanghe newspaper on August 4th, 42-year-old Handan resident Wu Lina had been trying for years to have a civil execution case resolved but faced obstacles. She continued to bring up the issue to relevant authorities.
Wu Lina claimed that on May 25th of this year, when she was preparing to publicly complain to the Handan Municipal Party Secretary during open office hours about the difficulties she faced in enforcing a court judgment over the years, including being obstructed unfairly with physical goods instead of monetary compensation, Guo Hongbo, the executive director of the Congtai District Court’s enforcement bureau, called to dissuade her and orally promised to “coordinate the resolution of all disputes” for her, persuading her to give up petitioning.
Out of trust, she temporarily stopped raising the issue. However, on the same night, Guo Hongbo repeatedly called her, asking for money under the guise of helping to resolve the case, claiming he was “short of money” and asking her to “give some money.” After being refused, Guo Hongbo made multiple lewd and harassing phone calls, repeatedly saying Wu Lina was “beautiful” and claiming that the court head, Feng Zhiyong, was interested in her – “Director Feng likes you, I can make it happen, take the opportunity yourself.”
According to Wu Lina, she had previously experienced violent treatment. On June 24, 2025, when she visited the court as scheduled to submit materials for the complaint, she was surrounded by multiple court staff, physically restricted, and detained for three days.
In the wee hours of the third day, over a dozen male staff members subjected her to violent beatings, publicly tore and stripped off her clothes, and insulted her, leaving her with multiple injuries, and later that night, she was taken to the First Hospital of Handan for treatment.
The video evidence from Wu Lina’s cousin was also forcibly deleted.
Subsequently, to suppress her rights protection activities, she was administratively detained for 15 days by the court. After being released early on the fifth day, staff used this as a bargaining chip to coerce her into signing a guarantee that she would no longer petition or report.
On July 23, Wu Lina reported Guo Hongbo to the Handan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, which acknowledged the report and promised to contact Wu Lina within 10 working days to submit materials.
The Handan Intermediate People’s Court in Hebei Province issued a situation report on August 4, stating that in response to the online reports regarding Guo Hongbo, the executive director of the Congtai District Court’s enforcement bureau, the court has set up a special investigation team. After preliminary verification, it was confirmed that the inappropriate comments and recorded phone calls online were indeed made by Guo Hongbo himself, leading to his suspension.
Wu Lina’s public report has sparked widespread public attention. Although Guo Hongbo has been suspended due to confirmed harassment and bribery in the audio recordings, the core allegations of assault, public humiliation, and other accusations made by the creditor still await a clear conclusion.
This incident has dominated the trending topics on Weibo, drawing significant public attention. Many netizens expressed the need for a thorough and transparent investigation to not just address individual disciplinary issues but also to ensure that rights protection channels are safeguarded.
A verified legal professional from a law firm in Hebei, Lawyer Guo, stressed that this incident involves not just personal dignity but also touches on the bottom line of law and justice. Relevant authorities should swiftly intervene to uncover the truth.
A Weibo user, Gu Xiaoxuan, emphasized that given the public sentiment, the investigation must be comprehensive and objective, clarifying all facts and providing a complete and transparent response according to regulations. Only by thoroughly verifying each accusation and giving the involved parties and society a satisfactory explanation can societal doubts be alleviated and the credibility of the judiciary maintained.
Many netizens expressed feeling horrified by this incident, seeing the dark omnipresence of the Chinese Communist Party’s judiciary system, making it extremely difficult for people to protect their rights.