Heads sacked and jailed over school lunch scam
By Liang Yiwen |
August 8, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TWELVE school principals and an education bureau director in eastern China's Zhejiang Province have been sacked, and 11 of the heads jailed, for embezzling a students' lunch budget totaling more than 4 million yuan (US$621,118), according to the Qianjiang Evening News.
All the principals in Yongkang City took at least 10 percent commissions from canteen food supplier Lin Zhen, a cousin of one of the principals. Eleven were jailed for up to 12 1/2 years, but the investigation continues and others have yet to be sentenced.
Lin, 38, launched a catering company in 2007 with no experience in the food industry. However, his wife's cousin, Shu Huadong, was a primary school principal, the newspaper said.
With that introduction to the industry, Lin became familiar with many other principals. His firm soon won a quarter of the local student lunch market.
Lin also won contracts involving schools' purchase of other goods and construction projects. He offered principals commissions for this other business.
His earnings increased until he was able to buy himself a house worth about 1 million yuan and a luxury car.
Investigators found that 12 principals were bribed by Lin. Moreover, the principals began to ask more of Lin.
One principal, surnamed Shi, complained to Lin that he had lost large sums of money on the stock market, and Lin increased cash payments to the man.
Li Feiben, another primary school principal, raised the 10 percent commission to 20 percent on the basis that "students have found worms in the lunch you provided."
As the greedy principals demanded more and more, the students' lunches became worse and worse. Parents were angered and sent letters of complaint to Yongkang City People's Prosecutors' Office demanding an anti-corruption investigation.
After the investigation, Lin confessed to police and implicated the principals.
All the principals in Yongkang City took at least 10 percent commissions from canteen food supplier Lin Zhen, a cousin of one of the principals. Eleven were jailed for up to 12 1/2 years, but the investigation continues and others have yet to be sentenced.
Lin, 38, launched a catering company in 2007 with no experience in the food industry. However, his wife's cousin, Shu Huadong, was a primary school principal, the newspaper said.
With that introduction to the industry, Lin became familiar with many other principals. His firm soon won a quarter of the local student lunch market.
Lin also won contracts involving schools' purchase of other goods and construction projects. He offered principals commissions for this other business.
His earnings increased until he was able to buy himself a house worth about 1 million yuan and a luxury car.
Investigators found that 12 principals were bribed by Lin. Moreover, the principals began to ask more of Lin.
One principal, surnamed Shi, complained to Lin that he had lost large sums of money on the stock market, and Lin increased cash payments to the man.
Li Feiben, another primary school principal, raised the 10 percent commission to 20 percent on the basis that "students have found worms in the lunch you provided."
As the greedy principals demanded more and more, the students' lunches became worse and worse. Parents were angered and sent letters of complaint to Yongkang City People's Prosecutors' Office demanding an anti-corruption investigation.
After the investigation, Lin confessed to police and implicated the principals.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
