Institutional mechanism essential to preempt abuse of power by officials

More than 18,000 people, mostly officials, were prosecuted in 2019 for abuse of power related to their professional positions nationwide, according to a national meeting of prosecutors on Saturday. The figure is an increase of 80 percent compared with the previous year, which highlights the fight against corruption must never waver.

The increase in the number of both cases and criminal suspects in the past year points to the resolve of the central authorities to crack down on such crimes and the increased intensity of the fight against the abuse of power at all levels.

The intensified campaign against organized crimes, which was launched by the central authorities in 2018, has played an important role in uncovering local officials who have acted as protective umbrellas for local criminal gangs. This is an important reason why the number of such criminal suspects has increased dramatically.