Probe into ex-village committee members
By Xu Chi |
April 23, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EIGHT of the nine members of the former village committee in Wukan in southern Guangdong Province, where there were protests last year over illegal land use, are being investigated over possible violations of land trading and financing laws.
They have been put under "double designation" - a procedure under which Communist Party officials are ordered to confess or explain wrongdoings at a designated time and place - since last Friday, according to the China News Service.
On September 21 and 22, villagers in Wukan, which is administered by Lufeng City, began to protest over issues related to land use, financing and the election of village officials.
Last November, the villagers stepped up their action with large-scale protests against the village authorities.
The villagers gathered again on December 11 after Xue Jinbo, a man who was detained for "organizing" the November demonstrations, died in police custody.
Officials from a provincial work team in charge of handling the village unrest conceded that the residents' major demands were reasonable and "some mistakes" had been made by local officials.
Serious problems
Discipline watchdogs launched an investigation into the village committee and their report uncovered serious financing problems.
The report said inspectors found clues indicating that committee officials had broken the law. During development in the village, the committee was found to be "damaging the direct economic interests of farmers," the report said.
The officials were found to have been transferring public funds into private bank accounts, making their own invoices and receipts, and not publicly disclosing details of the financing of village projects.
Several members used public funds to purchase their cars or gifts for others. They were also found repeatedly taking money from the social security system, the report said.
The committee failed to collect rent from companies in the village in time and some public funds went missing during business deals with real estate companies, discipline watchdogs said.
The villagers elected a new committee last month.
They have been put under "double designation" - a procedure under which Communist Party officials are ordered to confess or explain wrongdoings at a designated time and place - since last Friday, according to the China News Service.
On September 21 and 22, villagers in Wukan, which is administered by Lufeng City, began to protest over issues related to land use, financing and the election of village officials.
Last November, the villagers stepped up their action with large-scale protests against the village authorities.
The villagers gathered again on December 11 after Xue Jinbo, a man who was detained for "organizing" the November demonstrations, died in police custody.
Officials from a provincial work team in charge of handling the village unrest conceded that the residents' major demands were reasonable and "some mistakes" had been made by local officials.
Serious problems
Discipline watchdogs launched an investigation into the village committee and their report uncovered serious financing problems.
The report said inspectors found clues indicating that committee officials had broken the law. During development in the village, the committee was found to be "damaging the direct economic interests of farmers," the report said.
The officials were found to have been transferring public funds into private bank accounts, making their own invoices and receipts, and not publicly disclosing details of the financing of village projects.
Several members used public funds to purchase their cars or gifts for others. They were also found repeatedly taking money from the social security system, the report said.
The committee failed to collect rent from companies in the village in time and some public funds went missing during business deals with real estate companies, discipline watchdogs said.
The villagers elected a new committee last month.
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