China Corruption Blotter (August 8, 2012)

Former Lechang City (Guangdong Province) Economic and Information Bureau director Wu Bosheng was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for accepting bribes totaling more than $125,104 from nine property developers, and for being unable to account for much of his wealth. Authorities confiscated $46,911 of his assets. http://www.chinanews.com/News/zh-CN/Detail/63682.html

Hong Weijun, former Management Committee director of Chongqing Yudong Economic and Technological Development Zone, got 19 years and had $469,110 confiscated for embezzling more than $625,480 and taking more than $781,850 in bribes from a property developer. http://www.tc.cn/news/newsshow-524582.html

Shaoguan City recently revealed the arrest of six police officers earlier this year for accepting bribes of up to $938,220 to offer protection and insider information of police raids to illegal gambling dens, hotels, karaokes, and saunas. Nine masterminds behind the businesses and 16 managers were also arrested, and will be charged in court at a later date. http://www.gd.chinanews.com/2012/2012-07-28/2/197021.shtml

An unnamed former manager of Chengdu Commercial Machinery Factory under the Department of Commerce was recently charged along with five of his staff for illegally seizing ownership of the factory during its privatization process. The six personnel held 58.8% of the company after privatization. They later swindled more than $312,740 in demolition compensation funds from the state. http://www.01ny.cn/article-300170-1.html

Telecom firm China Unicom was fined $31,274 for bribing four property developers so that the firm could be the sole provider of phone lines and broadband internet within their residential properties. http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/gsnews/20120802/180212743230.shtml

Liang Shijun, the former director of the Social and Cultural Unit of Gansu Province Department of Culture, was recently sentenced to 13 years for accepting $39,095 in bribes from a Lanzhou technology company. http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/legal_case/content/2012-07/24/content_3726146.htm?node=33815

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