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| Chinese officials arrest a pastor in this undated photo. Government agents often seize Christians in China on arbitrary charges. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
(Ezhou, Hubei— Jan. 17, 2020) An indictment paper and one other document related to the case of three arrested Hubei Christians have been released.
Pastor Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang collected offerings for their church. The government deemed this “fraud” and imprisoned the three women.
Hao may face more than 10 years in prison.
The indictment, as well as a notice delivered to Hao, have been included below.
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Ms. Hao Zhiwei,
It is very dangerous near the 200,000 cubic meter blast furnace gasholder of the E-steel Company of WISCO Power Supply Plant and within 300 meters northeast of the surplus gas power boiler. Per the Production Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Rectification Order About the Serious Potential Safety Hazard Within the Northeastern Outside Area of E-steel Company Gasholder by the Municipal Security Committee (Ezhou Security Office Document (2019) No. 13), the district conducted a physical isolation in the dangerous zone located in the area, set up danger signs, and announced that people and vehicles are not allowed to enter or exist without the approval of the department which oversees production safety, in order to protect people’s lives and the safety of possessions. The administrative decision is administratively mandatory, disciplinary and legal, so related personnel should comply with and carry out the decision.
People are all equal before the country’s laws regardless of religion, region, and people. Recently, a few people instigated and conspired with some religious people to ignore the suggestions of the department which oversees production safety and forcibly transgressed the equipment in physical isolation and had events in the dangerous zone without approval. This violates laws, so they need be responsible for it in accordance with the law and take sole responsibility for their deeds.
It is our hope that Ms. Hao Zhiwei will take the safety of religious people’s lives and possessions into consideration and understand, support, and cooperate with the administrative decision given by the relevant department of government. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or complaints, please contact the Echeng District Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau (70 Mingtang Road, Echeng District Government Building the 3rd floor, Phone: 3895506) or the Municipal Commission of Ethnic and Religious Affairs (Te 1 Binhu Road North Government Building the 7th floor, Phone: 3830216) via phone or mail.
Echeng District Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau
July 18, 2019
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Hao Zhiwei, the accused, female, DOB …, 1972, ID…, Han, Associate’s degree, unemployed, born in …, Hukou… She was put under administrative detention for 15 days on a charge of illegally rallying by Ezhou Municipal Police Department Echeng District police station on January 10. She was criminally detained by the Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on July 31, 2019 on a charge of suspected fraud and was arrested on Sept. 6, 2019 with the approval of the court, which was enforced by the Ezhou Municipal Police Department Echeng District police station on the same day.
Hong Ying, the accused, female, DOB …, 1970, ID, Han, middle school education, … worker, born in … , lives in … She was administratively detained for 10 days, starting on Jan. 10, 2017, by the Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on a charge of obstructing law enforcement. On July 31, 2019, she was criminally detained by the Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on a charge of suspected fraud, and she was arrested on Sept. 6, 2019 with the approval of the court, which was enforced by the Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on the same day.
Wan Yuanxiang, the accused, female, DOB …, 1972, ID, Han, middle school education, unemployed, born in …, lives in … On July 31, 2019, she was criminally detained by Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on a charge of suspected fraud and was arrested on Sept. 6, 2019 with the approval of the court, which was enforced by the Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau on the same day.
The Echeng District Branch of the Ezhou Municpal Public Security Bureau investigated the case, completed it, and handed it to the court for review and prosecution on Nov. 6, 2019. After processing it, the court notified the three defendants that they had the right to appoint defense lawyers on Nov. 8. The court also interrogated the three defendants in accordance with laws, heard the opinions of the three defendants’ defense lawyers, and reviewed all documents about the case. During that period, the review and prosecution was extended once due the complication of the case (from Dec. 6, 2019, to Dec. 21, 2019).
In accordance with the law and after review, it has been found that:
From August 2001, Hao Zhiwei, the accused, preached religion as a minister at E-steel Qiao Christian Church and accumulated wealth by unfair means, such as “tithes” and other “offerings,” without the approval of the Ezhou Three-Self Patriotic Movement [TSPM] of the Protestant churches and the [China] Christian Council of Ezhou. On March 16, 2013, Hao Zhiwei held a pastor-anointing ceremony at E-steel Qiao Church and printed pastoral certificates without the approval of the Ezhou TSPM and CCC in order to gain the trust of more Christians and collect believers’ “offering.” Hao Zhiwei incited and arranged the defendants, Hong Ying and Wan Yuanxiang, to be in charge of collecting, counting, managing, and spending the “offering” in 2013 and February 2015, respectively. From February 2015 to today, Hao Zhiwei, ganging up with Hong Ying and Wan Yuanxiang, establish the “tithe” and other offerings, deceived the victims … to give “offerings.” Hong Ying and Wan Yuanxiang counted it together; the total amount of the fraud “offering” is 2,247,559 yuan [$327,646.81 USD]. The “offering” mentioned above was deposited in a bank by Wan Yuanxiang, who opened an account using her ID, the last four digits of which are 0364, and deposited 1,951,370 yuan [$284,468.69 USD] of the “offering.” She opened another account using Hao Zhiwei’s ID, the last four digits of which are 8684, and deposited 296,189 yuan [$43,178.12 USD] in it. Among the 2,247,559 yuan, the offering amount Wan Yuanxiang deposited, 2,054,746 yuan [$299,538.73 USD], is the offering Wan Yuanxiang, ganging up with Hao Zhiwei and Hong Ying, defrauded from believers. Hao Zhiwei spent the fraud offering mentioned above on buying ABLife Inc., stocks under the name of herself and her spouse, Zhang Youwu (deceased), purchasing property, and paying the medical bills of Zhang Youwu—who was treated at Tongji Hospital, which is affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s Tongji Medical School—and purchasing a parking spot at the hospital.
Below is the evidence verifying the facts listed above:
1. Hukou information, the arresting process, no criminal record, the decision of administrative penalty, photos of the site, the certificate issued by the Hubei Provincial TSPM and CCC, the certificate issued by the Ezhou Municipal Commission of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the certificate issued by the Ezhou Municipal TSPM and CCC, the personal statement handwritten by Wan Yuanxiang, the agreement on entrusted shareholding, the bank statements, the form of the status of real estate, the commodity house purchase and sale contract (advance sales), Hubei VAT general invoices, receipts, the bank’s electronic receipts, the tracer of advance payment to Tongji Hospital, the affiliate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s Tongji Medical School, Zhang Youwu’s medical record at Tongji Hospital, the affiliate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology’s Tongji Medical School, the application and explanation, the official reply in respect of agreeing that E-steel Qiao Christian Church should stop religious events, the report about solving the internal dispute of E-steel Qiao Christian Church, the report and solution about E-steel Qiao Christian Church’s conflict and dispute, the introduction of E-steel Qiao Christian Church, the specific plan about E-steel Qiao Christian Church’s election of believer representatives and members of the church committee, the form of religious venue registration and application, the registration certificate, the form of religious personnel investigation and registration, the E-steel Qiao Church financial registration form, the fact about the incident in which [name redacted] was hit, bled, and passed out at E-steel Qiao Church on March 10, the report about applying for repatriating Hao Zhiwei who broke Religious Venue Management Regulations and violated E-steel Qiao Church’s legal rights, the letter about enhancing supervision on Hao Zhiwei, an illegitimate Christian preacher, in accordance with the laws, the report about E-steel Qiao Church’s application for penalizing members who disrupted the normal order of religious events, the detailed illustration about the investment of stakeholders, Hao Zhiwei and Zhang Youwu, in ABLife Inc., and the statement of offerings etc.
2. The testimony of witnesses….
3. The statement of victims….
4. The statement and excusations of defendants, Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang.
5. The video, audio and other materials made while Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang were interrogated.
6. The transcript from searching the homes of Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang.
The court thinks that defendants, Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang defrauded others of money with the aim of unauthorized possession using the fake facts as means and hiding real facts. The amount of money is huge, which violates Article 266 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. The crime’s facts are clear and the evidence is solid and sufficient, so the three defendants should be prosecuted for criminal liabilities on the charge of fraud, and Hao Zhiwei, the defendant, played a key role in the conspiracy and is the chief culprit per Clauses 1 and 4 of Article 26 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, so she should be penalized based on all the crimes she participated in or organized and coordinated. The defendants, Hong Ying and Wan Yuanxiang, played a minor role in the conspiracy. Per the Clauses 1 and 2 of Article 27 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, they are accessories, so their penalty should be reduced. The defendants Hong Ying and Wan Yuanxiang truthfully confessed their crime, per Clause 3 of Article 67 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, it is a confession, so it is fine to be lenient to them. According to the Criminal Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China, we can prosecute the case. Please adjudicate in light of the law.
Salutations,
Echeng District People’s Court in Ezhou, Hubei
No difference between the duplicated copy and the original copy were detected after a review
Dec. 20, 2019
Attachment:
1. The defendants Hao Zhiwei, Hong Ying, and Wan Yuanxiang, are currently detained at the Ezhou Municipal No. 1 Detention Center.
2. 20 volumes of materials and evidence about the case.
3. Two copies of the Affidavit of Guilty Plea and Punishment.
4. The inventory handed in with the case: one car key, one driver’s license, three debit cards, 19,345 yuan [$2,820.09 USD] in cash, and one commodity house.
ChinaAid Media Team
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