Fury at cadres over collapse of bridge escalates
The Rainbow Bridge tragedy in Chongqing's Qijiang county has developed into a full-blown scandal involving virtually the entire local bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, state media stepped up their attacks on cadres who are being blamed for the deaths of at least 40 people in the accident.
The bridge collapsed on January 4, killing 23 paramilitary police officers and 17 civilians.
Xinhua yesterday stepped up criticism of Lin Shiyuan, the vice-party secretary who was arrested last week for accepting bribes over construction of the bridge.
Lin was accused of accepting a payment of 100,000 yuan (HK$93,000) from former classmate Fei Shengli in exchange for the construction contract.
Xinhua said Lin had accepted the money because he wanted to send his children to a top school.
The news agency said local cadres had violated nearly every construction regulation and granted contracts to builders willing to pay the biggest bribes.
'A large number of projects, which should have gone through extensive processes of design, feasibility study, experts' studies and approval, were built purely because some senior bureaucrats had given their endorsement,' Xinhua said.
'This has opened the door of convenience to those cadres who have fallen because of their greed to deal with unscrupulous contractors.' Xinhua reported on Saturday that Qijiang County Party Secretary Zhang Kaike had been sacked and was also being investigated over the accident.
Two deputy directors of Qijiang County's Urban and Suburban Construction Commission were also in police custody.
In an interview with the China Youth Daily last week, a contractor admitted that corruption was rampant in the industry.
He said it was common for suppliers to bribe contractors and, in turn, for contractors to pay backhanders to officials.
