Officials removed for taking kickbacks through mahjong

The former director of a county finance bureau was removed from his post for gambling with mahjong to take kickbacks.

Zhu Hanjun, former director of the finance bureau of Wuhua county, Meizhou city, Guangdong province, and seven other officials, including his wife, were caught gambling on June 16 by police, who found 81,500 yuan on site, New News Express reported on Monday.

The eight were fined 500 yuan ($79) each and were removed from their posts on June 22

Zhu, who had been at his post for eight years, played mahjong as a way of taking kick-backs for allocating funds to lower-level departments, reported Guangzhou-based New News Express, citing unidentified sources.

In one case, up to 4 million yuan was involved in such a mahjong game.

The eight officials are under investigation and their posts will be filled through open competition and selection, according to the Meizhou Party committee.