'Grinning' official sacked for discipline violations

[AntiPAPunk]

'Grinning' Shaanxi official sacked for discipline violations
Xinhua 2012-09-22 16:14

Yang Dacai has been sacked as the head and party chief of the provincial work safety administration. (Internet photo)

A work safety official who was photographed smiling at the scene of a fatal bus crash that occurred in northwest China's Shaanxi province late last month has been removed from his post over a serious violation of discipline, local authorities said Friday.

Yang Dacai was dismissed from his position as member of the Shaanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, as well as head and party chief of the provincial work safety administration, according to the provincial discipline watchdog.

The commission said a further investigation into Yang is under way.

Yang first came into the spotlight after he was photographed wearing a broad smile while surveying a collision between a bus and a methanol tanker that left 36 people dead on Aug. 26.

His inopportune expression was seen as unsympathetic and aroused wide public indignation, although he explained that he was "unprepared" at the time the photo was taken and smiled at the site in an attempt to comfort his colleagues.

Yang then found himself targeted by netizens looking to rake the muck, with photos surfacing of Yang wearing 11 luxury wristwatches. Although Yang claimed he purchased the watches with his own salary, Internet users argued that a public servant could not possibly afford the expensive watches.

After the scandal broke, the provincial discipline watchdog said that Yang would be investigated and receive serious punishment if any disciplinary violation or corruption was found.

 

[rolleyes]

Government official fired, all because of a smile…
Key | September 23rd, 2012

From Weibo and other sources:

The “8·26” serious traffic accident in Yan’an, Shaanxi caused 36 deaths and 3 injuries. A picture of Yang Dacai, chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety, smiling on the spot triggered heated discussion. Some netizens utilized “human flesh search engine” and uploaded more pictures of Yang online. Many a netizens claimed that he wore luxury watches like Rolex, TAG Heuer and Rado. Yang Dacai was caught in a wave of questioning.

On Aug 29th, Yang Dacai received micro-interview and apologized to the relatives of victims, saying that he smiled in order to make the staffs to relax, and without notice his facial expression might look a bit too relaxed. He also said he had bought five watches over the past over 10 years, with his legal income, and had reported to Bureau of Discipline Inspection & Supervision. Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee said on 30th that the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee would conduct investigation and would be seriously dealt with according to respective regulations, should any violation of disciplines or corruption issue be found.

Yang Dacai responded on Weibo:

"When we came to the accident scene, we felt very sorrow and sad. The accident was so serious that the atmosphere was very depressing. Some frontline comrades looked very nervous when they reported to me. And some comrades had so strong accent that I could not hear clearly. I asked them to relax a bit, and I might have looked a bit too relax without noticing it. I feel very guilty now looking back."

"I would like to make a statement regarding my watches. In the past over 10 years, I did buy five watches. They were purchased at different times with my own legal income. I have reported to Bureau of Discipline Inspection & Supervision about this issue."

Photos of “Chef Smile” from nddaily:

The issues that Yang Dacai, Secretary of Party General Branch and Chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety, smiled inappropriately on the spot of the “8.26” serious traffic accident and wore many luxury watches drew high attention from Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, which conducted careful investigation.

Investigation showed that Yang Dacai committed serious violation of disciplines. And according to respective discipline regulations, after discussion among Standing Committee of Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, it was approved by Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, to terminate Yang Dacai from his role of Member of the 12th Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, and Secretary of Party General Branch and Chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety.

Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee will make further investigation regarding other clues of Yang’s violation of disciplines revealed in the previous investigation.

China News says “the ‘Chef Smile’ being fired is a lucky hit. This is yet another classic case of Internet anti-corruption since netizens’ "human flesh searched" Nanjing Jiangning District Real Estate department former director Zhou Jiugeng. However, many Netizens were not as excited as before. The victory of the Internet anti-corruption is more like throwing bricks over the wall, whoever gets hit is unlick. In other words, it is not the inevitable result of anti-corruption institutionalized, but netizens’ lucky hit. If Yang did not smile, if the picture is not spread on microblogs, if the photos of him wearing expensive watches were not found and made noticed on the Internet, this problem official is probably still safely hiding in the bureaucracy.