THE hearing of charges involving organized crime against a former municipal lawmaker began in a Chongqing court Monday.

    Wang Neng, former deputy to the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress, is accused of organizing and leading a criminal gang, forcing others to do business with him, intentionally injuring people, bribery and blackmail, prosecutors said.

    Wang was accused of monopolizing the cloth transport route between Shaoxing County in Zhejiang to the Chaotianmen Market in Yuzhong District in Chongqing through a transport company he set up in May 1995.

    Since 1997, Wang and 10 others, including Wu Fuping, Wang Tongqing and Xia Dejun, allegedly used threats and violence to force local cloth dealers to hire his transport company, prosecutors said.

    Wang and his group allegedly earned 10 million yuan (US$1.54 million) and caused one person to be seriously hurt and three others slightly injured in their activities, prosecutors said.

    Wang was accused of leading the gang, along with Wang Tongqing, Xia Dejun and Zhang Ya as key members. (Xinhua)