Photo: Screenshot from Sina Weibo

Ma Aijun, former head of the public security bureau of Lubei district in Tangshan, North China's Hebei Province, has been fined 700,000 yuan ($97,279) and sentenced to 12 years in prison for the charges of crimes of bending the law for personal interests and accepting bribes, Langfang City Guangyang District People's Court revealed on Sunday.

According to the court, Ma was the "protective umbrella" of criminal gangs involved in a cruel barbecue restaurant assault in Tangshan. On June 10, 2022, a group of men violently beaten four female victims and prompted widespread condemnation and triggered a heated discussion about whether criminal gangs were involved and why the attackers were so unscrupulous.

On August 29, 2022, a total of 28 people, including the main suspect Chen Jizhi, were prosecuted for their involvement in the cruel barbecue restaurant assault in Tangshan following 80 days of investigation under great public expectations.

Besides, the procuratorate authorities of Hebei filed cases on 15 people holding public positions, eight of whom were taken into custody for their suspected abuse of power, corruption and offering a "protection umbrella" for criminal gangs.

According to media reports, Ma was born in August of 1966 and has been working in the public security system for a long period of time and held various important positions.

Ma, who was also a former member of the Party Committee of the Tangshan Public Security Bureau, was appointed as the deputy head of the Lubei district and head of the public security bureau in Lubei district in 2018.

From September 13 to 15, 2022, the Langfang City Guangyang District People's Court held an open first trial of the case involving the defendant Chen Jizhi and others, who were charged by Langfang City Guangyang District People's Procuratorate for organizing illegal and criminal activities by a gang, according to Beijing Daily.

Chen was ultimately convicted of multiple crimes including provocation, robbery, the crime of affray and running an illegal gambling den in the first-instance verdict, and was fined 320,000 yuan and sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Global Times