Qianxi county Party chief faces disciplinary inquiry

Li Guifu, the Communist Party of China chief of Qianxi county in Tangshan, North China's Hebei province, is currently under disciplinary review and investigation by relevant authorities, after being suspected of serious violations of discipline and law following the investigation of a previous case relevant to him.

The review and investigation are being undertaken by Hebei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, according to a notice released on Tuesday night on its official website.
In the previous case, a retired Party cadre in the county, Ma Shushan, was arrested and prosecuted for reporting on local leaders, including Li, in December.

After some review and verification, the county's procuratorate was ordered by higher authorities to withdraw the prosecution against Ma, on the grounds that there were no criminal facts.

During the investigation, three issues were found to exist among relevant units and party members, according to a report by Hebei Daily, the official newspaper of the Hebei Party branch, which quoted a working investigative group comprising multiple departments in Hebei.

Li Guifu, who was also vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tangshan, did not correctly fulfill his duties and failed to recuse himself from petition matters involving himself and others that should have been handled by higher authorities.

Li also failed to report the matters as required, and handled them in violation of regulations, the working group said.

Secondly, Qianxi County's Public Security Bureau did not conduct a comprehensive investigation and evidence collection for the case, and the use of criminal detention measures was inappropriate.

Furthermore, Qianxi County's Procuratorate made incorrect decisions regarding arrest and prosecution, and did not strictly conduct reviews on the necessity of detention in accordance with the law.

As a result, a total of 22 relevant personnel involved in the case face punishment by disciplinary and supervisory authorities, in accordance with the law, according to relevant regulations.

During the working group's investigations, Li was found suspected of other serious violations of discipline and law. 

The Hebei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has initiated a case to investigate Li, and has taken coercive measures against him.

The group also conducted investigations and verifications on 10 specific issues reported by Ma Shushan, but has found no proof of the problems he reported.

As a retired cadre, Ma has violated relevant procedures by anonymously reporting issues. The Party organization to which he belongs has decided to criticize and educate Ma for his misconduct, according to the working group.
The head of the group was quoted by Hebei Daily as saying that in the next step, the group will adhere to the anti-corruption campaign without wavering, effectively ensuring that corruption will be fought, and suppressed.