Reflection On Disputes About Crime Of Mediating Acceptance Of Bribes

Article　388　of　the　latest　Criminal　Law　of　the　People's　Republic　of　China,　which　is　theoretically　called　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes,　prescribes:"Any　State　functionary　who,by　taking　advantage　of　his　own　functions　and　powers　or　position　,　secures　illegitimate　benefits　for　an　entrusting　person　through　another　State　functionary's　performance　of　his　duties　and　extorts　from　the　entrusting　person　or　accepts　the　entrusting　person's　money　or　property　shall　be　regarded　as　guilty　of　acceptance　of　bribes　and　punished　for　it."　　　　In　view　of　complications　of　prerequisites　of　an　objective　act　of　the　crime　of　acceptance　of　bribes　and　necessities　of　fighting　corruption　,　Supreme　People's　Court　and　Supreme　People's　Procuratorate　,　in　the　year　of　1989,　made　a　further　explanation　for　the　crime　of　acceptance　of　bribes　concerning　taking　advantage　of　the　position　in　Solutions　to　A　Number　of　Problems　about　'Supplementary　Provisions　Concerning　the　Punishment　of　Crimes　of　Embezzlement　and　Bribery'　.The　said　explanation　states　that　taking　advantage　　　　　　　　　of　the　position　in　committing　the　crime　of　acceptance　of　bribes　refers　to　taking　advantage　of　the　functions　and　powers　or　advantages　concerning　the　position　;　that　functions　and　powers　refer　to　those　any　State　functionary　is　entitled　to　;　that　taking　advantage　of　the　advantages　of　the　position　refers　to　the　fact　that　any　State　functionary　takes　advantage　of　his　own　functions　and　powers　or　position　instead　of　exercising　his　own　functions　and　powers　directly　;　and　that　any　State　functionary　who　,　by　taking　advantage　of　his　own　functions　and　powers　or　position　,　secures　illegitimate　benefits　for　an　entrusting　person　through　another　State　functionary's　performance　of　his　duties　and　extorts　from　the　entrusting　person　or　accepts　the　entrusting　person's　money　or　property　shall　be　regarded　as　guilty　of　acceptance　of　bribes　and　punished　for　it　.　On　the　basis　of　the　said　'Solutions　to　A　Certain　Number　of　Problems',　having　drawn　lessons　from　law-making　examples　in　many　foreign　countries　and　having　summarized　helpful　experience　resulting　from　long-time　judicial　practice　in　our　country,　the　Criminal　Law　revised　in　1997　gives　a　more　explicit　prescription　of　the　crime　of　acceptance　of　bribes　in　Article　388.　As　a　special　state　of　guilt　of　acceptance　of　bribes,　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　shares　with　the　general　crime　of　acceptance　of　bribes　the　same　criminal　objects,　criminal　subjects　and　subjective　desires　in　committing　an　offense,　except　objective　prerequisites　of　crime.　Objective　prerequisites　of　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　concretely　display　that　the　person　committing　the　crime　takes　advantage　of　influence　of　his　functions　and　powers　or　position,　but　his　offense　is　finally　brought　about　by　the　mediatee's　performance　of　his　duties　;　that　the　mediator　of　the　crime　secures　for　an　entrusting　person　illegitimate　benefits　instead　of　legitimate　ones,　or　he　will　not　be　charged　with　such　an　offense,　that　is　to　say　,　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　exists　only　in　case　of　taking　bribes　and　bending　the　law　;　and　that　as　far　as　the　crime　is　concerned,　the　way　of　accepting　bribes　as　well　as　extorting　bribes　must　be　founded　on　the　prerequisite　of　securing　illegitimate　benefits　for　an　entrusting　person　.　Since　an　objective　act　determines　the　nature　of　a　crime,　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　　is　of　relatively　independent　significance　in　judicial　practice　.　The　problem　of　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　is　worth　paying　attention　to　after　the　current　Criminal　Law　came　into　effect.　There　often　exist　a　lot　of　cases　of　the　crime　with　different　judgments,　which　result　from　the　ambiguity　of　the　law　and　from　the　disputes　in　theory　about　the　definition　and　subjects　of　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes,　about　the　relationship　between　mediators　and　mediatees　,　and　about　the　prerequisites　of　illegitimate　benefits.　The　paper,　in　accordance　with　the　prescription　of　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes　in　the　current　Criminal　Law,　synthesizes　the　ideas　of　different　scholars　about　the　above-mentioned　disputes　and　elaborates　writer's　personalized　thought,　which　is　supposed　to　contribute　towards　a　further　research　and　judicial　practice　in　the　crime　of　mediating　acceptance　of　bribes.