Officials sacked in probe into killing by waitress

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-31 22:56

WUHAN -- Two Chinese township officials were sacked Friday in the ongoing investigation into the killing of another official by a bathhouse waitress who claims she was defending herself against a sexual assault, the local government said Sunday.

Huang Dezhi, 41, was sacked from the post of vice director of the office of business delegations of Yesanguan Township, Badong County, Hubei Province, the county's Communist Party of China (CPC) Discipline Inspection Committee and the Supervisory Bureau said in a joint statement.

He was also deprived of his CPC membership, as he had "pushed and shoved and verbally insulted a waitress who refused to accompany them to take a bath" in a bathhouse on May 10 in Badong, the authorities said.

Huang has been detained in connection with public order offences.

Deng Zhongjia, 45, another vice director of the same office, was also fired as the incident had caused a "bad social effect". Deng, who went to the bathhouse with Huang and official Deng Guida, had not broken any laws or regulations, the statement said.

Police have shut down the bathhouse and are questioning its owners, the statement said.

The waitress, Deng Yujiao, fatally stabbed Deng Guida on May 10 after she refused to provide "special services," slang for sex. Deng Guida pulled out a stack of cash and tossed it at Deng Yujiao, and pushed her down twice on a sofa. The waitress picked up a knife and stabbed him and injured Huang, the county government said in a statement earlier.

She claimed that Huang raped her.

Deng Yujiao, 21, was detained on suspicion of murder on the day of the incident and released from a detention center on bail on Tuesday night. She has not been formally charged.

The three Dengs are not related.

Deng Yujiao has attracted intense public sympathy on the Internet with many people expressing anger at the officials who abuse their authority.

Police are still investigating the case.