After the incident of the Wuhan urban management officers assaulting street vendors, on August 12, a netizen disclosed on a mainland social platform that a truck driver was stopped by urban management officers in Zhengzhou Zhengdong New District while delivering goods and “fined” 1400 yuan (RMB, the same below). However, the “fine” was not paid through official channels but transferred to the other party’s personal WeChat account.
On August 13, the Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau (Urban Management Bureau) of Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province announced that after verification, the situation circulated on the internet was true. Dong Mouhao and three other personnel involved were suspended from their positions.
According to a report by the “New Beijing News,” the incident occurred in the early hours of August 10. Mr. Liu, the truck driver involved, recalled that on that day, when he was driving the truck near Zhengdong New District, he was stopped by an urban management vehicle and fined 1400 yuan for the reason that the “tarpaulin was not properly closed.”
Subsequently, the other party took out a mobile phone and showed a personal WeChat payment QR code. Mr. Liu helplessly scanned the code and made the transfer. His dashcam captured the entire process of the involved urban management officers using personal WeChat to collect the “fine.”
After the incident was exposed online, the staff of the Mobile Squadron of Zhengdong New District Urban Management Bureau responded, stating that the staff member involved was surnamed Dong, and the driver involved had come to the squadron to mediate the matter. Truck driver Mr. Liu stated that the “fine” had been refunded.
Netizens expressed their disapproval, with comments such as, “A typical case of ‘law enforcement turning into illegal actions, public power turning into personal gain’!” “The act of collecting fines through personal WeChat is extremely egregious. It is necessary to thoroughly investigate and handle such cases. Law enforcement must follow the rules and procedures.”
For further reading:
Controversy sparked by the Wuhan urban management officers beating street vendors.