Party expels former govt official for illegally using a dead woman's identity

Authorities in Pingdingshan, Henan province, have expelled a former government official after a woman's identity was improperly used to obtain official documents and even register a marriage years after her death.

According to a statement released by the investigation group on Monday night, the case came to light when a woman, surnamed Sun and daughter of the deceased, posted online about irregularities following her mother's death in 2008, prompting a government investigation. A joint task force was established on March 5 to review archives, conduct interviews, and verify records.

The investigation found that Sun's mother, surnamed Zhao, died of illness in December 2008. Shortly after her death, her brother, also surnamed Zhao and then an official in Lushan county, Pingdingshan city of Henan province, exploited his position to have her household registration and her young daughter Sun's documents illegally transferred.

In early 2009, he arranged for another person to impersonate his deceased sister to apply for an ID and register a marriage, allegedly intending to continue contributing to her pension for personal gain in the future.

The pension fraud was never carried out, the statement said. In 2014, the illegal household registration was formally canceled, rendering related documents invalid.

The investigation also reviewed the management of the deceased mother's assets and the guardianship of her daughter, Sun. Property sales and rental income were used to repay debts, cover medical expenses, and fund Sun's upbringing. No evidence of embezzlement was found, it added.

Authorities concluded that the brother Zhao abused his power. His acts of impersonation and document falsification, while unlawful, were beyond the statute of limitations.

The local authorities have expelled Zhao from the Communist Party of China and removed him from public office. One official, surnamed Xu, who processed the illegal registrations, received a severe inner-Party warning and reduced retirement benefits. Another official, surnamed Li, received a formal admonishment. A deceased official previously involved is no longer subject to investigation, according to the statement.