Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
A former Chinese soldier rejected from a cushy government job 23 years ago has discovered that an impostor got it instead after stealing his identity.
Former soldier Wu Ruihua from the county of Dancheng in the eastern Chinese province of Henan served with the People’s Liberation Army between 1992 and 1995, according to reports.
Since leaving the army and failing to get a government job, the 47-year-old man has worked as a farmer, painter and decorator and general handyman.
Wu recently looked through a list of retired soldiers who had been sourced work by the veterans affairs bureau in Dancheng and was surprised to find his name next to a note that said he landed a government position back in 1996, according to local media.
In China, it is common for the authorities to find work for former soldiers within government institutions and state-owned organisations.
With the help of local media, Wu began to investigate the incident and soon discovered that a man using his details had reportedly been employed by the Yilu township government as a senior engineer on a salary of 3,400 CNY (368 GBP) a month.
The alleged impostor’s colleagues said that the man joined in 1996 and claimed to be a former serviceman.
Meanwhile, the real Wu stated that he had tried to get a government job when he left the army on many occasions, but to no avail.
He told local media: “In 1995, I went to the civil affairs bureau to ask about my new job many times but they always told me to wait.
“When 1996 came and there was still no news, I decided to leave home to find work in the city.”
The Dancheng government has issued a statement confirming that the alleged impostor has been detained pending a full investigation.
Records show that the impostor who was not named was born in 1979 and has been working with the authorities since 1992.
The investigation continues.
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