Chinese media question Bo Xilai's pet project - Dalian's mounted policewomen
Days after a retired policeman publicly called for the abolition of a pet project by disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai, media outlets have focused on the project, raising sharp questions over its finances and its legality.
A call from a low-level retired policeman would rarely feature on the national daily's front page, had it not included a reference to the disgraced party leader, who is awaiting trial for still unknown charges in Beijing.
Video: Dalian's mounted horsewomen
The report estimates the Dalian Public Security Bureau has made 30 million yuan (HK$40 million) of illegal profit with the tourist attraction since it opened in 2001.
In 1999, the Dalian public security department had allocated five million yuan to build the 6,000 square metre site and flown in 100 retired racehorses donated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the report said quoting unidentifed sources. The department paid three million yuan annually for its upkeep and salaries, but did not report its income from tourism.
According to legislation to clamp down on corruption in the security forces which had been introduced a year earlier, security forces are barred from engaging in commercial enterprises.
When the training camp was inaugurated in 2001, Bo Xilai had just moved on to becoming acting governor of Liaoning province, after the previous governor Zhang Guogang had been purged of corruption. Bo then advanced to the position of minister of commerce and party chief of Chongqing, before disappearing after the 18th Communist Party Congress last spring.
Over the last 24 hours, more than 11 million people have read the report by China Business News on news portal 163.com, making it by far the most widely-read story of the day on the news portal.