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More officials sacked over melamine scandal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-20 17:17

BEIJING -- Eight more senior government officials have been fired or disciplined for supervisory failure in last year's scandal involving the adulteration of Sanlu milk powder, the Communist Party of China (CPC) disciplinary body said Friday.

Saleswomen check the returned Sanlu brand milk powders in a supermarket in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Sept. 17, 2008. [Xinhua]

The officials were from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the ministries of agriculture and health, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the State Food and Drug Administration.

Related readings:  No melamine found in Wyeth milk powder  Sanlu Group fined nearly 50m yuan over melamine scandal  60 arrested over melamine-tainted Sanlu milk powder  New rules to control melamine production

Wang Bubu, director-general with the law enforcement and supervision department of AQSIQ, was removed from his official and party posts. Lu Yangang, deputy director-general with SAIC's food circulation supervision department, was removed from his job.

The other six officials received various penalties, including demotion and having their conduct recorded, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the ruling party's internal anti-graft body.

Melamine-contaminated milk powder left at least six Chinese infants dead and almost 300,000 with kidney disease. In the scandal, the chemical melamine was added to dairy products to increase their apparent protein content.

The incident had "very serious consequences" and relevant departments and officials should draw lessons from it, earnestly fulfil their duties and take strong measures to enhance food safety supervision, the CCDI said.

Last September, AQSIQ director Li Changjiang resigned, the highest-ranking official brought down by the scandal.

Communist Party chief Wu Xianguo, Mayor Ji Chuntang and Vice Mayor Zhang Fawang of Shijiazhuang City of Hebei Province, where Sanlu Group was based, were also among the officials sacked.

The punishments have sent a strong signal about China's resolution to hold officials accountable for severe production and quality incidents, said professor Wang Wei of the National School of Administration.

Under the Civil Servants Law, which took effect in 2005, and the State Council Regulations on the Punishment of Civil Servants of Administrative Organs, enacted in 2007, heads of administrative bodies who fail to fulfill their duties and cause serious problems that could have been avoided face removal from their jobs and other, more severe punishment.

Such steps are "crucial to a service-oriented government," Wang said.