Two Shanghai Officials Under Probe for Bribery

Cai Zhiqiang, former chief of Putuo District in Shanghai, has been officially arrested on suspicion of bribery, Shanghai People's Procuratorate announced Thursday.

In a related case, Yin Kun'neng, former director of general office of Putuo district has also been taken into custody, according to Xinhua report.

A graduate of international politics from Fudan University, Cai, 45, is being investigated on suspicion of taking "huge amount" of bribes when he served as deputy director and acting director of general office of Shanghai Personnel Bureau, and later as the Bureau's deputy director and chief of Putuo district.

Cai was also a representative of People's Congress of Putuo District and Shanghai Municipality.

Cai and his former subordinate Yin, are the latest of a series of Chinese officials being deposed this year, as the Chinese authorities stepped up enforcement against corruption in recent years.

Among the high profile corruption case exposed this year included that of Song Yong, deputy director of Standing Committee of People's Congress of Liaoning province; Li Tangtang, vice chairman of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; Huang Yao, chairman of Guizhou Provincial Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Sun Shuyi, chairman of Shandong Provincial Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Other than that, several high-level officials have been deposed in 2009 due to their apparent connection to the case of Huang Guangyu, founder of Gome, who has been under probe of bribery and insider-trading since last year.

Among those arrested, detained or questioned in relation to Huang's case included Zhu Ying, deputy director of Shanghai Public Security Bureau; Sun Haiting, an official from the Inspection Bureau of the State Administration of Taxation; Xu Zongheng, former mayor of Shenzhen; Chen Shaojin, chairman of Guangdong Provincial Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; and Wang Huayuan, secretary of Zhejiang provincial commission for Discipline Inspection of CPC.

The extended list also included Zheng Shaodong, an assistant minister of Public Security, and Xiang Huaizhu, a vice director of the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau at the Ministry.

The number of fallen officials connected to the Huang's case may expand as investigation is still underway.

As the Chinese government intensified its efforts to combat corruption, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of CPC and Ministry of Supervision has in Oct launched a website (www.12388.gov.cn), in addition to a hotline set up last June, allowing the public to submit complaints and tip-off on corrupted officials and party members.