Scores of officials investigated in Guangdong

Thirteen prefecture-level officials and another 151 county-level Party and government officials have been investigated by the Guangdong Provincial Party Commission for Discipline Inspection in the first five months of this year.

Eight of the prefecture-level officials and 29 at county level have been transferred to judicial organs for further investigation and possible prosecution, according to Zeng Fanrui, secretary-general of the province's top anti-graft body.

Zeng said senior Party and government officials placed under investigation from January to May include Chen Hongping, former Party chief of Jieyang city, Li Zhujiang, former director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Ocean and Fisheries, and Wang Chengkui, former deputy Party chief of the Guangdong provincial department of justice.

They also include Liang Daoxing, former vice-mayor of Shenzhen special economic zone, and Shang Wei, deputy mayor of Shaoguan.

Zeng was speaking at a press conference in Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

Guangdong's top anti-graft body has investigated 29 prefecture-level and 242 county-level Party and government officials since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November 2012, Zeng said.

Economic losses of more than 623 million yuan ($100 million) have been recovered after the investigation of corruption cases involving the senior officials, he added.