BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese whistleblower holding secretly filmed sex tapes featuring city bureaucrats has come under pressure from police to hand them over for an investigation into an embarrassing scandal that has already cashiered 11 officials.
Police questioned Zhu Ruifeng, a former journalist who triggered the scandal in the southwestern city of Chongqing, for seven hours on Monday about the tapes and said he could be liable for prosecution if he did not surrender them.
"The police were very polite but they said they wanted the videos. I firmly refused to give it to them because I have to protect my source. This is impossible," said Mr Zhu, who lives in Beijing but was, he said, interviewed by Chongqing police officers.
"They threatened me with the law, saying I could be accused of concealing evidence." The first high-profile case broke in November after Mr Zhu released online a video of a 50-something Communist Party district official having sex with a woman allegedly hired by developers in an extortion bid.
Police questioned Zhu Ruifeng, a former journalist who triggered the scandal in the southwestern city of Chongqing, for seven hours on Monday about the tapes and said he could be liable for prosecution if he did not surrender them.
"The police were very polite but they said they wanted the videos. I firmly refused to give it to them because I have to protect my source. This is impossible," said Mr Zhu, who lives in Beijing but was, he said, interviewed by Chongqing police officers.
"They threatened me with the law, saying I could be accused of concealing evidence." The first high-profile case broke in November after Mr Zhu released online a video of a 50-something Communist Party district official having sex with a woman allegedly hired by developers in an extortion bid.
