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Chongqing corruption bust widens
By Wang Huazhong and Ma Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-17 08:02 CHONGQING: Two leaders from local work safety supervision administrations are being accused of allegedly committing gang activities. Wang Xiping, 46, from Sichuan province, deputy director of the Chongqing coal mines safety supervision bureau, and Zhao Wei, director of the Wansheng district's administration bureau of work safety and director of the district's coal mine safety supervision bureau, were both investigated by Party discipline authorities recently. "Colluding with several officials of the Wansheng district, Wang obtained a coal mine that generates tens of million of yuan in revenue per year in the district by means of organized gang actions," Chengdu Business Daily quoted an unnamed Chongqing source as saying. The newspaper reported Wang is also being probed over an ill-gotten 30 million yuan ($4.4 million). Citizens in Wansheng had conferred the title "Black Money Director" on Zhao for admitting he accepted bribes of 20 million yuan, the newspaper said. "For a director who always employed blood and iron policies, people might have developed two opinions," one of Zhao's colleagues from the Wansheng administration bureau of work safety told China Daily anonymously on the phone without elaboration. Many locals and miners applauded the downfalls, saying "it is not a surprise to see privately owned mines using gangs and bribing officials to maintain operations." Government figures showed the Wansheng district has 350 million tons of coal reserves and an annual production capacity of 4 million tons. In addition, 14.5 billion tons of limestone and 300 million tons of dolomite reserves were detected there. Both the two coal mining inspection administrations told China Daily they did not have updates about the investigation from the Party's discipline authority, though the report said Wang had been arrested. The city's coal mine safety supervision bureau tried to tackle corruption by holding a meeting on Aug 20 and advocating officers to "cautiously use their powers and cautiously make friends." "Corruption cases occurring in our bureau have taught us unforgettable lessons. We have to examine ourselves and heighten our awareness of corruption," Wei Fusheng, the director of the bureau, said in the meeting. Official figures from the Chongqing coal mine safety supervision bureau show the tally of mining deaths nearing several hundred yearly. Besides the two officials, the newspaper also reported that the deputy director of the Wansheng Bureau of Land and Resources, Xiong Yong, and chairman of the board of Wansheng-based Chongqing Zhenxing Coal Mining Co., Fang Jianhong, were under criminal investigation by the local procuratorate.
 (China Daily 09/17/2009 page4) |
