Scandal of Linxiang mayor found naked and high on Ice highlights drug addiction among cadres
Case of city chief found naked and high on Ice is part of a growing problem of addiction and corruption among party cadres, say ex-officials
When police caught up with rising political star Gong Weiguo last month, he was allegedly naked and high on the drug Ice.
The last public appearance of the mayor of Linxiang a city of just over half a million people in Hunan province, had been on April 7.
A week later, Gong, 43, was admitted to a Guangzhou hospital, suffering from depression, according to The Beijing News. Within days, police had launched an investigation into his suspected drug-taking, and by April 21 he had been removed from office.
Jiang Zongfu, a former deputy mayor of Linxiang, said on his personal microblog that he was extremely saddened for the city. "[Gong] is simply a hooligan, a drug addict," he wrote. "When the vice squad arrived, he was completely naked."
The scandal triggered public dismay at yet more apparent corruption within a top office, but it also highlighted the problem of drug abuse among cadres - experts say job pressure and a lack of oversight is fostering a legion of drug-addled grass-roots officials.
About a year ago, the problem had become so great that state news agency Xinhua published an article labelling drug abuse among officials as "hurting, painful and disgusting".