Anti-graft officials probe vote-buying

Guangzhou's anti-graft body investigated 12 major vote-buying cases in the city's re-election of village heads between January and April, according to a senior official.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Mei Heqing, a member of the standing committee of the Guangzhou Party discipline inspection commission, said all the candidates were disqualified from the election after they were found to have been involved in the vote-buying scandal and in violation of laws and regulations.

Elections were completed by the end of April, Mei said.

In February, the former Party chief of Wangcun village in Guangzhou's Luogang district and the village's deputy head were investigated for providing free dinners to villagers and paying for villagers' visit to entertainment venues before the vote.

A Gangwei villager surnamed Cao in Renhe township of Guangzhou's Baiyun district was investigated for allegedly giving cash to local Party members so as to be elected as his village's Party chief at the beginning of the year.

In addition to hongbao (money in red envelopes) to voters, a Sanlian villager surnamed Wang in Huadu district's Tanbu township allegedly purchased edible oil and rice for his villagers to be elected as village head.

And a Mumian villager surnamed Xie in Conghua' district's Taiping township was also investigated for allegedly paying villagers "sympathy money" during the lunar new year beginning Jan 31.

The anti-graft body transferred two senior city officials and a business executive to judicial departments for further investigation and possible future prosecution earlier this year.

"They include Liang Jianqing, former director of Guangzhou city administration of quality and technological supervision; Gong Hankun, former deputy head of Panyu district; and Cheng Qiaojia, former general manager of Guangzhou Coal Industrial Corp," Mei said.

Liang was investigated for allegedly accepting large bribes when he was mayor of Conghua, a suburb of Guangzhou, from April 2003 to February 2011.

Liang, Cheng and Gong were investigated for alleged bribes during Spring Festival in February, Mei added.