Three more officials in Fujian province have been disciplined as part of China's wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign targeting both "tigers and flies" - high-ranking and low-level officials.
Shi Xiaoyu, former deputy mayor of Fuzhou, the capital of the province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China, the local anti-graft authority announced on Sunday. Shu Zhan, Party chief of the broadcasting group in the area, and Lin Guodong, deputy head of the cross-Straits job market platform, have both been held for investigation.
The announcement came one day after China snared its biggest "tiger" since its reform and opening-up - Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee.
The three Fujian bureau-level officials were all charged with taking massive bribes and committing adultery, according to the disciplinary department.
No official in Fujian at or above the provincial level has been investigated since the anti-corruption campaign began in late 2012, according to media reports.
Shi, Shu and Lin have been expelled from the Communist Party of China, the most severe punishment for a Party member, as it usually means the end of the official's political career. They were also deprived of all benefits as public servants as regulations state that government officials no longer enjoy any benefits if they commit a crime.
Shi has been investigated since March and stood trial in November. The indictment said he misused his power and accepted bribes of 2.3 million yuan ($374,000) and HK$300,000 ($38,700) when he held the posts of deputy mayor in Putian and Fuzhou from 2005 to 2010. No verdict has yet been issued.
Committing adultery is not illegal in China but is prohibited under Party discipline. Corrupt officials find it convenient to accept bribes through their lovers and defend themselves if discovered by saying they were not informed of the money.
Shi's case drew nationwide attention when his mistress, Yao Yanli, testified against him in a court hearing that was broadcast live online, and she confessed to accepting bribes of 1.6 million yuan on Shi's behalf. Shi denied any knowledge of the bribes and claimed he never used the money. He did admit to receiving some money from businessmen but argued he was too busy with work to have time to return the money. The court accepted Yao's testimony and ruled all the money was bribes.
Shi's predecessor, Yang Aijin, was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year for accepting more than 8 million yuan in bribes. He was the deputy mayor of Fuzhou for 10 years and was named deputy head of the city's legislature in 2007.
zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 12/08/2014 page3)
