Discipline inspector to investigate ex-police chief

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-20 17:05

The discipline inspection commission of the Xi'an Public Security Bureau has begun an investigation on an ex-police chief who allegedly embezzled police officer’s housing funds during his tenure, the Sanqin Daily reported today.

An online post revealed that as many as 102 police officers in Huxian County of Xi’an City, Shaanxi province jointly signed the letter accusing Wen Zhigang, the ex-head cop of the city from 2003 to 2007.

It is the second discipline inspection on Wen. The previous one was carried out in August 2008 by the Xi'an Police Station's discipline body, which determined Wen was free of accusations on embezzlement or bribery, said Qian Baiyun, Xi'an Public Security Bureau spokesman.

Wen is now section chief of the household register at the Xi'an Public Security Bureau.

He could not be reached for comment, the paper said.

The letter posted online states in November 2003, Huxian police officers pooled their money to build residential apartments.

Wen reportedly chose his friend as the contractor and charged each police officer 1,200 yuan per sq meter, though the contractor's settlement price came to only 685 yuan per sq meter. The move forced some police officers into debt.

Local police officers paid 97 million yuan total for the buildings, but overall costs of the apartments were 51.82 million yuan, according to the letter. Accounts of the project remain undisclosed and it is unknown where the remaining 40 million yuan went.

Construction of the buildings was finished in 2005, but they were not delivered to the police officers until two years later. And many of the apartments are of poor quality, it has been reported.

Wen offered 19 apartments to local officials free of charge after the completion.

He has also been accused of appropriating office supplies.