Mystery veils case of jailed lawyer who may face new charges

Chongqing authorities have confirmed that jailed lawyer Li Zhuang will be prosecuted further for fabricating evidence in an embezzlement case he handled in 2008, which means he could stay in jail for up to seven more years.

Li was convicted of the same charge in February last year during his defence of Chongqing crime boss Gong Gangmo. He is serving a 11/2-year sentence and is scheduled to be released in June. A spokesman for the municipal government broke the news of Li's possible guilt in other cases earlier last week, citing complaints from unnamed sources.

It is unclear, from the China News Service report on Saturday, where this 2008 crime was committed, but the report said it was appropriate for Chongqing prosecutors and judges to handle the additional case: convicts may be prosecuted and tried in the jurisdiction where they are jailed for extra crimes discovered against them, wherever they were committed.

This explanation is unlikely to quell brewing scepticism among legal professionals over the new charge, and will only throw up more questions about Li's case, which has been shrouded in controversy from the beginning.

The Beijing defence lawyer was arrested at the height of a high-profile crackdown against triads in Chongqing, turned in by his client Gong, who said he felt uncomfortable when Li taught him to claim torture and forced confessions. Gong was given a life sentence in the end.

While most lawyers avoid commenting on whether Li was guilty of the crimes alleged against him, many have written openly to call attention to procedural irregularities and inexplicable twists in the case, against the background of a political campaign that could not be allowed to fail.