Former police chief's patent hobby stirs public query

Although Wang Lijun, the former police chief in Chongqing, had been sentenced 15 years imprisonment two years ago for power abuse, the hundreds of patents he obtained during his tenure in Chongqing have not been investigated. The public has the right to know whether there is graft behind these patents, says an article in the Beijing Times. Excerpts:

Wang Lijun obtained 254 patents when he worked in Chongqing from 2008 to 2011. He invented everything, from police equipment, to tableware for hotpot.

Wu Changshun, former police chief in Tianjin, who has been sacked recently, also has 35 patents under his name.

The number of their inventions makes them seem even more productive than many professional researchers, scientists and designers.

In fact, many of Wang and Wu’s patents are “registration of designs”, such as a key chain for female police, or even a sculpture designed by Wang himself, standing at the entrance of Chongqing police headquarters.

It takes about hundreds of thousands of yuan to pay the application fees of so many patents under Wang’s name. Although Wang is the holder and beneficiary of the patents, it was the Chongqing police department and school that applied and paid the expenditures.

The investigation of Wang Lijun two years ago did not shed light on this suspected guzzling of public funds and misuse of police power.

Wang holds at least seven patents for bookshelf designs and many other designs that have little relevance to his work.

There must be some people in the police department helping him complete the “research ” and complicated procedures of patent applications.

The Chongqing police authority, as the main administrator of the money, and people used by Wang for his patents, should respond to the public’s query over the stories behind the hundreds of patents by its former head.