Zhou Weisi (pictured), vice director of a neighborhood in Longgang district (Shenzhen), was suspended from duty and placed under investigation after being accused of owning 80 properties and 20 luxury cars.
According to a government spokesperson, Zhou’s suspicious holdings are alleged to be worth more than $321 million.
Longgang businessman Zhou Zujie triggered the investigation when he posted an article in several online forums accusing the official of corruption.
The accused initially said he owned only five of the 80 properties attributed to him. All of his properties were obtained legally, he claimed.
But Chinese media outlets discovered Zhou and his family registered nearly 80 properties between 1999 and 2010, totaling 110,000 square meters (1,200,000 square feet).
Soon after posting his expose, Zhou Zujie was detained by local police for allegedly falsifying the amount of registered capital for his company. The police were found to have violated procedure by not obtaining approval from local prosecutors prior to arresting Zhou.
Source: Southern Daily (南方日报), Caixin Net (财新网)
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Benjamin Kessler is a contributing editor of the FCPA Blog and managing editor of its membership area.
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