Ji Lin to head Beijing construction
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-06-15 06:58
Beijing vice-mayor Ji Lin has been appointed as head of construction for the
2008 Olympics in place of Liu Zhihua, who was sacked last weekend.
Beijing vice-mayor Ji Lin has
been appointed as head of construction for the 2008 Olympics in place of
Liu Zhihua. [file photo] | Ji was unveiled as the "newly appointed chief of the 2008 Project
Construction Headquarters Office" in a report on a visit to the Olympic sites by
chief Beijing organiser Liu Qi posted on the official website of the 2008 Games
late on Wednesday.
Liu Zhihua, also a vice-major of Beijing, was stripped of his post last
Sunday, accused of corruption and bad morals, and is likely to lose his
Communist Party membership before being prosecuted.
Ji, 44, is a native of Shanghai and has a masters degree in criminal law. He
is a member of the Communist Party's Beijing Committee and was appointed
vice-mayor of the city in 2004.
As well as taking charge of the building of the Olympic venues, Ji will run
the estimated $40 billion project to upgrade the Chinese capital's
infrastructure in time for the Games.
That involves the construction of new roads, railways and metro lines as well
as a third terminal for Beijing airport.
Organisers have said that all the Olympic venues will be completed by the end
of 2007 in time for pre-Games testing.
"Construction of the Olympic venues and affiliated facilities has entered a
key phase now," Liu Qi was quoted as saying on his visit to the sites on
Wednesday.
"We will, as always, stick to the principle of 'frugality' to stage the
Olympics, scientific innovation and strict management system while pushing to
remain on schedule..."
Hong Kong's Wen Hui Bao newspaper reported that he had kept mistresses in a
"palace" in Kuangou near Beijing.
The paper also said that a tip from a disgruntled businessman had alerted the
authorities to Liu Zhihua's alleged corruption.
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