Fake robbery scheme goes disastrously wrong

BEIJING: A Chinese domestic help who plotted to stage a fake robbery in the house of her employer, ended up dead after the scheme went disastrously wrong, according to a local report seen here Tuesday, reports AFP.

The maid, identified only as Wang, hit upon the scam after reading a newspaper article about a maid in the central city of Wuhan who received a bravery award of 8.000 yuan (920 dollars) after she was injured protecting her employer's house from an intruder, the Guangxi Ixgal News said.

Wang conspired with a friend from her hometown, named Liu. to fake aggravated robbery that would leave her heroically Injured and open to similar financial rewards.

If Liu were actually arrested for robbery and assault, Wang promised to wait until he was released from prison, when she would marry him and split the cash.

The plot foundered on the fact that Liu was unable to stand the sight of blood.

Wang convinced him to shut his eyes and stab her judiciously. which he did — nine Umes — and she promptly bled to death.

Liu was subsequently arrested for murder, the nr.-wsoaoer said.

Hunt for panty thieves

TOKYO: Police are looking for the man or men. who have forcibly stolen the panties from 13 women walking in Tokyo in the last four months, reports AP.

In the latest case, a man In his 20s tore the panties from an 18-year-old woman and fled on a motorbike Monday evening, an office said Wednesday.

Another woman scared off a would-be panty robber Tuesday morning by screaming loudly, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

None of the. 13 women involved has been hurt, police said.

A person convicted of indecent assault can face up to seven years In prison in Japan.

Law to curb 'social evils’ among civil servants

HANOI. Government workers in Vietnam face fines and even the sack if they succumb to "social evils" like prostitution, drunkenness or gambling under new regulations, reports Reuter.

The official Tuol Tre (youth) newspaper published a government order signed by Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet to introduce tough punishments for state employees who broke the law.

"Sex customers who are state employees will be fined between 100.000 d°ng (10 dollars) and one million dong (100 dollars)." the newspaper quoted the order as saying.

"A repeat of the act will result in a fine of between 1.5 million dong (150 dollars) and two million dong (200 dollars) and the sack." Tuoi Tre quoted the declaration as saying on Tuesday.

Civil servants .who sold their bodies would be fined and disciplined but not sacked, it reported without elaborating.

State employees who took drugs or gambled faced fines of up to 300.000 dong (30 dollars) and would be reported to their offices for further disciplinary action. Staff who got drunk in public faced a maximum fine of 200,000 dong (20 dollars) it said.

Vietnam's communist government has launched various campaigns to curb what it calls "social evils" but these regulations are the first to single out state employees, who account for 10 per cent of Vietnam s 32 million Workers.

Most state employees in Vietnam earn about 300.000 to 500.000 dong (30 to 50 dollars) per month.

The order also mentioned punishments for non-governf ment workers committing the same crimes, but the newspaper did not give details.-