19 jailed for organising prostitution in China

Beijing: Eleven people, including eight police officers, were today sentenced to prison terms ranging from life to 15 years over organised prostitution in a nightclub in central Chinese province between 2012 and 2013.

Chen Jiagui and Wang Guofu, two managers from the Royal No 1 Nightclub in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan, were convicted of organising sex trade and sentenced to life in prison, Xinxiang Intermediate People's Court said today.

Chen was also found guilty of illegally selling cigarettes of top domestic brands to make profits. Chen and Wang's personal assets have been confiscated.

Nine other defendants received sentences from 10 to 15 years along with fines, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The nightclub had employed more than 4,500 females in total before it was raided and forced to close on November 1, 2013.

The dossiers of 133 suspects were transferred to prosecutors in March last year, after a five-month investigation.

The 11 defendants stood trial in February. No date has been set by four courts in Xinxiang City for the remaining verdicts.

Eight police officers, including deputy head of the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau Zhou Tingxin were also implicated in the nightclub case.

Zhou was later sentenced to six years for accepting bribes. PTI