Chinese media tie military’s singing celebrities to graft probes
A state-run newspaper has alleged that a former teacher at the PLA Academy of Arts used connections within the military to arrange shady business deals
There has been much speculation in mainland Chinese media over the last five months about Su Daren, a power broker who allegedly facilitated a controversial mining deal which brought down Song Lin, once the high-flying chairman of one of China’s largest state conglomerates.
On Thursday, a state-run newspaper suggested Su’s ties went much further, alleging the former teacher at the PLA Academy of Arts had facilitated shady deals involving even higher-ranking Chinese officials who are now being investigated for graft.
Su was detained in March, according to the newspaper. It did not say who detained the businessman and whether prosecutors have officially levelled charges against him.
There was no suggestion of any wrongdoing by these performers in the report.
Su’s company assisted Tan in being selected as the singer for a theme song for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, according to the report. It also organised a concert for Yan in 2011, which was attended by Politburo Standing Committee member Li Changchun and Xu Caihou, then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission who has now been expelled from the Communist Party and is set to face court martial on corruption charges.