The head of a district industry and commerce bureau in Shenyang in Liaoning has been suspended from his post amid an investigation after he stormed into a newspaper's newsroom on June 9 to protest at negative media reports about his son's bakery, the People's Daily's website reported.
Yang Xiaosong, head of the Shenhe district industry and commerce watchdog, called for 'duels' with the two reporters at the Liaoshen Evening News who exposed that zongzi (rice dumplings) sold at a bakery chain, Bread Talk, were mouldy. The bakery is registered under his son's name.
Bai Dongsheng, the discipline chief at Shenyang's Industry and Commerce Administration, told the website that a team had been formed to investigate the allegations against Yang raised by the media.
On June 8, when the report about the mouldy zongzi was published, Yang's wife went to the newsroom and cursed loudly.
The next day, she returned with a gang and ended up fighting with two reporters who happened to be there. Yang was called and arrived with more people. His demands for duels with the two reporters involved were posted online by other reporters as the confrontation was taking place.
An online post on June 9 said the bakery was registered in 2008 under the name of Yang's son, Yang Jiwei, with a one-off investment of at least five million yuan (HK$6 million).
As a civil servant, Yang's annual salary is less than 100,000 yuan. The post was soon picked up by national media, including Xinhua.