19 Chinese Officials Probed For 2003 Murder Cover-Up

Story ByLee Bullen,Sub EditorJoseph Golder,AgencyAsia Wire Report 

Video Credit: AsiaWire

Nineteen Chinese officials are being investigated for covering up the murder of  a man said to have blown the whistle on construction corruption 16 years ago and who was recently found buried under a school sports field.

According to local media, the remains of Deng Shiping, 53 when he disappeared in 2003, were uncovered in June this year, buried beneath the school sports field at Xinhuang No 1 Middle School in Huaihua city in Hunan Province, in Central China.

Picture Credit: AsiaWire

Reports said that 19 officials, including 11 from the police and six from the local government, have been dismissed from their posts or are under investigation for covering up the alleged homicide.

The victim’s family has campaigned for a full investigation ever since Deng went missing after making allegations of corruption regarding a school building project.

The project’s main contractor Du Shaoping was the last person to be seen with the victim although no action was taken by the authorities at the time, according to reports.

Du reportedly confessed to the murder while under arrest for an unrelated offences and he has been charged with the crime along with his foreman Luo Guangzhong, according to local media.

Du’s uncle Huang Bingsong, who was the school head at the time, is suspected of bribing Yuang Jun, then political commissioner of the Xinhuang county public security department.

Jun is believed to have obstructed the investigation so that Du would escape scrutiny, according to reports.

Local media said he has been dismissed and expelled from the Communist Party while Huang has since retired. Both are facing formal prosecution.

Five police officers have reportedly been sacked for accepting bribes from Huang and are also facing prosecution for dereliction of duty.

Meanwhile, reports said their superiors as well as the county police chief and his deputy have also been dismissed and expelled from the Communist Party ahead of their upcoming prosecution.

Nine other officials, including the former police chief for Huaihua and the Xinhuang county party secretary, have also been expelled from the party, disciplined or dismissed, according to local media.

The investigation continues.

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