China Corruption Blotter (July 24, 2012)

Former Jilin Province vice governor Tian Xueren, also former Party Secretary and Chairman of Jilin Bank, was last week punished with “double expulsion” (also known as “Shuang Kai”) by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for abuse of power and for accepting huge amounts of gifts and money. He awaits charges against him by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. http://news.cnfol.com/120707/101,1596,12726096,00.shtml

Sihong County (Jiangsu Province) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Accountant Cao Peicheng was recently charged by the county procuratorate for embezzling four million yuan (US$626,000) to invest in financial markets. The accountant told prosecutors that after seeing his friends profit from the stock market, he badly wanted to be part of it. http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/locality/content/2012-06/26/content_3672165.htm?node=37232

Former director of the Fifth People’s Hospital of Chuzhou City (Anhui Province) Sheng Liangquan was sentenced by a local court early this month to ten years and two months in prison for corruption involving 1.04 million yuan (US$162,490). According to the Chinese media, Sheng abused his power as director of the hospital from 2009 to 2010 to receive kickbacks from suppliers in purchasing medical equipment and medicines. http://news.hc3i.cn/art/201207/20254.htm

Lu Yunfei, Haikou City Xiuying District Party secretary and former Haikou City Construction and Development Company general manager, was charged on 13 July for accepting bribes of 2.8 million yuan (US$437,000) between 1998-2002 from Hainan Meiyuan Real Estate Development Co. Ltd. In exchange, Lu provided advantages to Meiyuan in project undertaking and payment settlement within the district. http://www.lianzheng.com.cn/c34705/w10234439.asp

Seven urban management officials (also known as “Chengguan”) in Guangzhou were detained and charged for taking kickbacks tied to construction permits and government contracts. Zhang Jianguo, deputy director of the Guangzhou administrative committee of urban management, allegedly accepted three million yuan (US$469,200) in bribes since 2009. http://english.caixin.com/2012-07-11/100409900.html

Former Director of the Huangshi City (Hubei Province) Coal Mining Bureau Co Ltd Lu Zailong was tried for corruption of more than 20 million yuan (US$3.12m) during the privatization process of the Huangshi Coal Mining Bureau. Lu and former bureau finance director Dong Zhiyi reportedly abused their power to manipulate the privatization process, taking over a 64.33% share of the mining bureau. http://www.changjiangtimes.com/2012/07/400886.html

_____________

Chua Guan Cheong is a senior journalist with ethiXbase.com. He can be contacted here.