Reporters dismissed for taking bribes in mine death case

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-27 23:56

BEIJING - Four reporters are dismissed or have their press cards revoked for taking hush money in the cover-up of a coal mine accident that led to a miner's death, China's press regulator has said.

The announcement, made by the China's General Administration of Press and Publication(GAPP) on Wednesday, said 58 people had evidence-proved involvement in taking bribes from the Huobaoganhe coal mine in the northern province of Shanxi, the country's major coal production base.

They received nearly 320,000 yuan (about US$47,000) in total to cover up the death of 41-year-old miner Ji Xinhong, who was suffocated to death on September 20.

The colliery did not report the death to the government and initial investigations showed that it had paid 125,000 yuan in six deals to self-claimed news organizations and journalists within one month of the accident, in exchange for not publicizing the death.

Most of the 320,000 yuan bribery was retrieved as of Wednesday while police were investigating 12 staff from six other media, who were allegedly involved in the case, the GAPP said.

Of the 58 people, four were professional reporters, 26 were staff related to local news organizations while another 28 were false reporters, GAPP said.

The four reporters, Zhang Junli, Xu you, Zhang Shikai and Niu Jianli, respectively from the Xiandaixiaofeibao, Shanxi Pictorial, Shanxi Science and Technology News and Science and Technology Review, all Shanxi-based media, were dismissed and had their press cards confiscated.

Other media staff were either fired or demerited while the self-claimed reporters would be punished according to the Chinese law, the regulator said.

Those involved would be banned from taking media careers for life, it said.

Many illegitimate coal pits exist in Shanxi Province though the government has reiterated the need to protect miners from working in unsafe coal mines.

Last Tuesday, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang pledged to decrease the country's number of coal mines from 16,000 to 10,000 in the next two years amid workplace safety worries.