Nearly 20 Chinese officials investigated for corruption after anti-graft inspections

[GENESIMM0NS]

Nearly 20 Chinese officials investigated for corruption after anti-graft inspections

Suspects work in sectors including energy, technology and telecommunications

PUBLISHED : Monday, 04 May, 2015, 3:22pm
UPDATED : Monday, 04 May, 2015, 5:57pm

Nectar Gan
[email protected]

An archive picture of Leng Rongquan, a former China Telecom executive who is among the latest officials to come under investigation for alleged corruption. Photo: SCMP Pictures

China’s top anti-corruption agency has placed nearly 20 senior executives from state-owned enterprises under investigation for alleged corruption during its first round of inspections this year as it vowed to return to institutions previously visited to see how they have addressed problems found.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection wrapped up its first round of inspections in 2015 on Sunday, it said in a statement.

The two-month investigations started at the end of February when teams were deployed at 26 state-owned enterprises in sectors such as energy, technology, telecommunication and steel.

The energy industry was hardest hit by anti-graft inspectors.

Four senior executives from the oil sector and seven from the electric power industry were investigated, including three from the country’s biggest oil company China National Petroleum Corp and five from China Southern Power Grid, the statement said.

Liao Yongyuan, CNPC’s general manager and a ministerial-level official, was placed under investigation for “suspected serious violations of law and party discipline”, a euphemism for corruption on March 16. This was followed by the announcement two days later that two other CNPC senior managers would be investigated.

About 50 people from CNPC have been investigated for alleged corruption since March 2012 when Tao Yuchun, the ex-president of its gas subsidiary, was detained, the China News Service reported.

Four senior executives in the telecommunication industry have been placed under investigation for alleged graft during the latest round of inspections.

Several retired senior managers are also under investigation.

They include China National Offshore Oil Corp’s former vice-general manager Wu Zhenfang and China Telecom Group’s former vice-general manager Leng Rongquan.

The commission pledged to follow up on how companies handled problems exposed by inspectors.

“To fully implement the effect of the inspection, the key is rectification and reform,” it said.