The sacked head of the Shandong branch of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was involved in some of the biggest scandals in the province, and his departure prompted calls for a review of the role the advisory body plays. The vultures had been circling around Sun Shuyi for several years due to allegations of dodgy business dealings and the dramatic downfall of his deputy. Sun, 64, was the third provincial CPPCC chairman to be sacked this year, following Chen Shaoji of Guangdong and Guizhou's Huang Yao . A CPPCC official told the 21st Century Business Herald that Sun had been 'acting strangely' for more than a year. His daily routine used to be consistent, but his schedule suddenly changed. This prompted speculation he was under investigation by graft authorities. Sun disappeared from public view in mid-October. His name no longer appeared in the media and he did not attend any meetings. The announcement of his sacking by the Shandong CPPCC this week did not provide any details. Sun's subordinate, Duan Yihe , was executed in September 2007 after he killed his mistress with a car bomb. The mistress had threatened to reveal his corruption unless he divorced his wife. Sun and Duan were extremely close. They were both from Shanghe, a rural county east of Dezhou city. When Sun was party secretary of Jinan , the provincial capital, Duan was deputy. Together they built up a powerful political and business network, which was severely damaged by Duan's arrest. Sun's fall is also believed to be linked to the arrest of Gao Yuankun, the president of the province's biggest private business, Linuo Group, and the exile of Gong Yinwen, an official turned businessman who organised a 4 billion yuan (HK$4.5 billion) pyramid scheme. Gao was deputy chairman of Jinan's CPPCC. His arrest was linked to a land-buying scandal in 2002 that saw Linuo Group buy a huge chunk of land in Jinan's hi-tech zone at a price well below market value. Gong used to be Sun's subordinate. He resigned in 1992 and started selling health care products. He was frequently praised in the official newspapers controlled by Sun. Hong Kong-based commentator Johnny Lau Yui-siu said the CPPCC chairmanship was traditionally reserved for veteran party leaders who still had substantial political influence in a region. The CPPCC was supposed to be an advisory body and watchdog. However, an influx of businessmen meant it had become a place for the rich to do deals, Lau said. Apart from the three CPPCC provincial chairmen, two deputy chairmen of CPPCC provincial committees, Sun Shanwu of Henan and Pang Jiayu of Shaanxi were also sacked this year. 'The central government usually turns a blind eye. But once a scandal causes strong social repercussions and hurts the core interests of the party, the leadership will knock down the related CPPCC head without mercy,' Lau said. 'CPPCC membership is not elected, the government appoints the delegates. Many businessmen buy seats to gain an official background and connections.'
