Society

Official's career rebirth triggers outcry

By Li Wenfang (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-01 09:43

GUANGZHOU: A former court chief, who was sacked for organizing luxurious overseas travel at public expense, has been appointed as a local provincial-level leader - a move triggering an outcry from the public.

Luo Guohua, who was sacked as president of Guangzhou Maritime Court in October following his costly overseas travel at public expense, was appointed deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Wednesday.

Luo became the latest high-profile official who had been removed for misconduct at work and later returned to a prominent public position.

News of Luo's tour with his colleagues broke in June when a netizen posted a letter from the court to the provincial authority asking for approval for the tour "to exchange ideas on how to deal with rising maritime judicial issues" along the province's coastline.

Luo led a group of six officials and spent 12 days in South Africa, Egypt and Turkey from Jan 7 to 18, which cost more than 487,000 yuan ($71,000) of taxpayers' money. Local travel agencies said they charged just 20,000 yuan per person for a similar trip.

The netizen also posted the officials' post-trip report, which was allegedly plagiarized from other published materials.

Prior to Luo, Li Changjiang, 65, who resigned as minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine after the Sanlu milk scandal broke last September, later became vice-director of the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications.

"The punishment for some officials seems to be ironic," said Qiu Zhihua, a media commentator.

"The punishment was like a paid holiday for them and then they will resume their positions and even be promoted," Qiu said.