Cadres warned over excesses
GOVERNMENT officials and party cadres have again been warned not to indulge in extravagance over the use of public funds.
They would be dealt with harshly if they were found violating the restrictions during the rest of the year and their cases might be exposed to the public, the Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said.
A deputy secretary of the Commission, Hou Zongbin, said the authorities would keep on cracking down on cadres who went out wining and dining, visiting dance halls and merry-making with public funds.
However, a team of entertainment inspectors has put a brake on such lavish living.
In eastern Zhejiang province, a deputy chief of Shaoxing city's Rural Enterprise Bureau has been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for buying sex and taking bribes.
Sun Zanlong was found guilty of using public funds to rent a hotel's presidential suite, where he took prostitutes.
The Hong Kong China News Agency reported yesterday that Sun spent 7,800 yuan (HK$7,270) on prostitutes and one night's hotel accommodation on July 16.
The former official was also accused of spending excessively in dance halls and taking bribes and public funds amounting to 44,600 yuan.
Sun was expelled from the party when his case was exposed.
Beijing earlier ordered officials not to attend any banquets or visit music and dance halls and other entertainment facilities that could be seen to influence their work, or to use public funds to pay for their entertainment.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Procuratorate sent 11 inspection teams to party and government organisations between July 12 and August 10 to check on officials.
The China Daily yesterday reported that some inspectors faced resistance from local authorities.
A nightclub in central Shaanxi was said to have greeted the inspectors with closed fists.
Managers of the China Town Nightclub in Baoji city, Zhang Weicai and Kang Zhiming, beat up one of five inspectors during an investigation, the newspaper said.
They were later punished by being held in custody for 15 days.
