The government of Pengshui County of southwestern Chongqing Municipality has withdrawn a lawsuit against a civil servant accused of mocking local officials via text messages.

Qin Zhongfei, who was arrested on September 1 and released on bail on September 28, has been awarded 2,157.70 yuan from the local government as compensation for 29 days of unlawful detention, said Li Gang, Qin's attorney.

An official with the county's public security bureau, surnamed Yao, told Qin on Tuesday that the bureau considered an error had been made in his case and would like to make an apology to him, said Li.

Qin, 31, made no comment about regaining his freedom, but his lawyer said Qin deserves the compensation and an apology because he is innocent of the charges.

Qin, who works for the human resources office of the county's education commission, used his mobile phone in mid-August to send a satirical poem that he had written to relatives and friends. Some people saw allusions to local officials in the poem.

Police arrested Qin on September 1 and he was prosecuted for "libeling officials".

The police investigation spread to more than 100 of Qin's colleagues and local teachers, who had received and forwarded the poem.

Qin told police he wrote the poem just for fun, and not to defame anyone.

But Meng Dehua, deputy secretary of the county committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was quoted by Thursday's edition of the weekly magazine Oriental Outlook as saying, "Qin made up the text message to attack officials and his action has had a negative influence in the county".

Qin's experience caused a furore on internet after Li Xingchen, Qin's high school classmate, posted an article about Qin's lawsuit on his blog on September 19. Many netizens were sympathetic to Qin and doubted the validity of the government's action.

"I hope this will help Qin," Li told Oriental Outlook.

"Every citizen has the right to observe the government and officials. Qin simply exercised this right," said Tian Xiangang, associate professor with the law school of the Shanghai University.