Shanghai judges sacked for soliciting prostitutes

The municipal legislature of Shanghai Thursday sacked four senior judges from the city's higher court for soliciting prostitutes at a night club, Xinhua reported.

Chen Xueming was sacked by the Standing Committee of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress from his posts as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Higher People's Court's judicial committee, chief of the No.1 civil court and judge.

Zhao Minghua was dismissed from his posts as deputy chief of the No.1 civil court and judge Ni Zhengwen was fired from his post as judge of the higher court.

The municipal legislature also removed Wang Guojun from his posts as deputy chief of the higher court's No.5 civil court and judge.

The four were placed under official scrutiny after a netizen released video footage showing them soliciting prostitutes at the Hengshan Resort in Shanghai in June.

Investigators found the four, along with a manager at a state-owned company in Shanghai, spent a night in the resort's nightclub where they allegedly hired prostitutes.

Cui Yadong, acting president of the municipal higher court, urged that lessons be learned from the scandal and called for "zero tolerance" toward any indiscipline or law violations.

The Supreme People's Court (SPC) Wednesday said the four court officials have tarred the image of the nation's judges and scarred judicial credibility.