A national research group has suggested the Chinese government to establish a public account for officials nationwide to return bribes, after five-year-long research on corruption prevention and control strategy.

Wang Minggao, the person in charge of the research group, said that according to the designed method, officials who return bribes through the national public account within a certain time limit, will be free from criminal or administrative punishment. Those who refuse to return bribes in time, will be severely punished.

Wang believed that the method could reduce cost in the fight against corruption and retrieve more illicit money.

The research group also suggested the country to set up a real name deposits system and family assets reporting system in an attempt to curb corruption at its root.

So far, no official response was announced on the method.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2004)