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Harry Cassin
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Senior Editor

Jessica Tillipman
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Bill Steinman
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Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large

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Julie DiMauro
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Thomas Fox
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Marc Alain Bohn
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Bill Waite
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Shruti J. Shah
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Russell A. Stamets
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Richard Bistrong
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Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor

China ‘grinning official’ pleads guilty to graft

The head of Shaanxi’s Provincial Work Safety Administration who was photographed last year smiling at the scene of a highway crash that left 36 people dead has pleaded guilty to corruption.

Yang Dacai — also snapped wearing at least six different luxury watches —  admitted taking $40,000 in bribes and having unexplained bank deposits of $820,000.

He appeared Friday in the Xi’an intermediate court.

The ‘grinning official’ was fired from his post and booted from the Communist Party last year for his ‘inappropriate smiling face behavior’ and wearing expensive watches.

Images of Yang’s ill-timed grin were plastered on China’s private blogs.

Outraged citizens then publicized his identity and posted a series of pictures showing Yang sporting luxury watches.

He’ll be sentenced later.

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Richard L. Cassin is the Publisher and Editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.

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