The procuratorate has issued an indictment notice on actress Liu Xiaoqing's law evasion case, according to one of Liu's lawyers.

However, it was still unclear whether Liu or Jing Jun, Liu's brother-in-law who was also involved in the case, would be prosecuted, as Liu's lawyers had not received the notice yet, said Xu Lanting, one of Liu's lawyers.

The lawyers would receive the indictment notice before Friday, said Xu. The law case has made substantial breakthrough since Liu was released on bail Aug. 16, Xu said.

If the procuratorate decides not to prosecute Liu, it will issue a non-indictment notice to her lawyers, according to Xu. When asked if issuing the indictment notice meant prosecution against Liu, Xu said it remained unclear whom the indictment notice was against.

When asked whom the indictment would be against if it was not against Liu, Xu said it would be Jing Jun. It was still unclear who was to take main responsibility for the tax case, said Xu.

A famous folk song singer, who is said to have visited Liu after her release, said Liu had told her she would never commit suicide. "If you hear of a piece of news saying I committed suicide, it must be wrong," the singer quoted Liu as saying.

There were many rumors about Liu's life in prison. Some said Liu's hair turned gray overnight, some said she tried to hurt herself by knocking her head against the wall, and still some said she tried to kill herself.

But the singer's agent said all the rumors were unfounded.

"I asked Liu about her life in prison. She said she was well treated," said the agent.

(Shenzhen Daily September 4, 2003)