CHINA / National
Senior Shanghai official held in scandal
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-24 19:30
The head of a commission supervising state-owned companies in Shanghai
has joined more than 50 people detained in the city's snowballing
corruption scandal, government sources said on Monday.
Ling Baoheng, director of the city government's Assets Supervision and
Administration Commission, was detained in Shanghai's pension corruption
scandal. [file photo]
Ling Baoheng, director of the city government's Assets Supervision and
Administration Commission, was detained at the weekend as Chinese
President Hu Jintao pledged publicly to clean up government.
Also held was one of Ling's deputies, Wu Hongmei, two government sources
told Reuters. A city government spokesman said he had not heard of the
detentions, while an official at Ling's offices said nobody there could
comment.
Beijing has sent more than 100 anti-corruption investigators to Shanghai
to investigate money reportedly siphoned off from the city's 10 billion
yuan ($1.25 billion) social security fund for illicit loans and
investments.
Hu appealed on Sunday to the party's 70 million members to show
solidarity. Later in the day, Hu attended a meeting of the International
Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities.
"We are stepping up efforts to improve the rule of law and a culture for
clean and honest government, and strengthen the checks and supervision on
power," Hu told about 900 delegates.
Alarmed by chronic corruption and social unrest, Hu is steering the party
towards reforms that would make officials more accountable.
As head of Shanghai's state assets commission, Ling oversaw the running
of some of China's biggest firms worth billions of dollars. One was
Shanghai Electric Group, China's largest power gear maker, several
officials of which have been implicated in the scandal.
The investigation has jolted the city's red-hot property market, by
threatening to expose illicit land speculation. But it has not damaged
overall business confidence -- Shanghai's stock market hit a five-year
high last week.
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Today's Top News
� Kim told China: No plans for second nuke test
� Chinese stocks surge to 5-year high
� Senior Shanghai official held in scandal
� 'Dam not responsible for drought'
� Ex-Enron CEO gets 24 years in jail
Top China News
� 'China threat' in Africa 'unfounded'
� Power corrupts. In some places, almost everyone
� Punishments reflect resolve to fight graft
� China needs to consolidate macro-control measures
� Shanghai tycoon arrested for pension fund scandal
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.
Learn Chinese, Chinese Mandarin
No comments:
Post a Comment