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Employee aids data leak probe

An employee of the National Bureau of Statistics is being investigated on suspicion of leaking national economic data before they were officially released, the bureau's spokesman Sheng Laiyun said yesterday.

The employee works for the bureau's general office's secretary division, Sheng said without elaboration.

Some local and foreign media, as well as some local brokerages, have in the past reported correct economic data before their official release. Senior government officials have sometimes revealed such figures a few days ahead of their release as they are believed to have access to such data in advance.

Sheng said the bureau supported the investigation, as leaking of confidential data was an offence.

Some key economic data and policy decisions, such as interest rate rises by the central bank, are viewed as state secrets and leaking them before the information is officially announced can result in jail sentences.

Domestic media and economists once again forecast correctly the 5.5 per cent gain in consumer inflation growth in May, though it was not known whether such exact forecasts were made through analysis or by getting access to data in advance.

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