Official halts story on his luxury watch, belt
Source: Xinhua |
October 11, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A HIGH-RANKING official in southeast China's Fujian Province has reportedly blocked a newspaper from publishing a story implicating him as corrupt, local media reported yesterday.
The report instantly sparked wide discussion online as a similar case recently brought down another official in Shaanxi Province amid the country's increasing muckraking on social media.
The Fujian official, believed to be Li Dejin, head of the province's Department of Transportation, stopped the Metropolitan Times of southwest China's Yunnan Province from publishing an article about his wearing a 50,000 yuan (US$7,950) Rado watch as well as a Hermes leather belt that is worth 15,000 yuan.
The case was disclosed by Zhou Zhichen, editor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Times.
Zhou posted a message on Weibo, saying he was both angry and ashamed because hundreds of thousands of copies of the paper were withdrawn because of "someone behind the curtains from far away."
Wang Keqin, an assistant to the Economic Observer's editor-in-chief, later provided more detail on the story through posting on Weibo.
Wang's post has been forwarded over 100,000 times on Weibo within two days.
The journalist said in a comment that the role of media is to expose, reveal and broadcast, and that is where its power lies. "The Internet is becoming a public medium for all people, and a most powerful weapon for public supervision," Wang wrote in a Weibo post.
Li has refused an interview request from Xinhua.
A source with the Department of Transportation of Fujian said it is not an appropriate time for the department and Li himself to respond to the reports.
The scandal over wearing luxury items follows that of Yang Dacai.
Two months ago, an Internet user posted pictures of Yang, a senior work safety official in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, wearing expensive watches, customized glasses and bracelets on various public occasions.
He was dismissed in late September and further investigation is under way.
A netizen who goes by the Weibo screen name of "Yazhidaren 007" said the government should look into the case so as to find out the truth behind the so-called luxury scandal.
Others said they are concerned about whether the watch and belt are genuine luxury items and whether he purchased them with legally earned income.
The report instantly sparked wide discussion online as a similar case recently brought down another official in Shaanxi Province amid the country's increasing muckraking on social media.
The Fujian official, believed to be Li Dejin, head of the province's Department of Transportation, stopped the Metropolitan Times of southwest China's Yunnan Province from publishing an article about his wearing a 50,000 yuan (US$7,950) Rado watch as well as a Hermes leather belt that is worth 15,000 yuan.
The case was disclosed by Zhou Zhichen, editor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Times.
Zhou posted a message on Weibo, saying he was both angry and ashamed because hundreds of thousands of copies of the paper were withdrawn because of "someone behind the curtains from far away."
Wang Keqin, an assistant to the Economic Observer's editor-in-chief, later provided more detail on the story through posting on Weibo.
Wang's post has been forwarded over 100,000 times on Weibo within two days.
The journalist said in a comment that the role of media is to expose, reveal and broadcast, and that is where its power lies. "The Internet is becoming a public medium for all people, and a most powerful weapon for public supervision," Wang wrote in a Weibo post.
Li has refused an interview request from Xinhua.
A source with the Department of Transportation of Fujian said it is not an appropriate time for the department and Li himself to respond to the reports.
The scandal over wearing luxury items follows that of Yang Dacai.
Two months ago, an Internet user posted pictures of Yang, a senior work safety official in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, wearing expensive watches, customized glasses and bracelets on various public occasions.
He was dismissed in late September and further investigation is under way.
A netizen who goes by the Weibo screen name of "Yazhidaren 007" said the government should look into the case so as to find out the truth behind the so-called luxury scandal.
Others said they are concerned about whether the watch and belt are genuine luxury items and whether he purchased them with legally earned income.
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