Ousted Urumqi chief Li Zhi investigated for corruption
Graft-busters look into the activities of the former party boss who was fired in 2009 amid deadly clashes in the Xinjiang capital
The former Communist Party boss of the Xinjiang capital, Urumqi, who lost his job in the fallout of a series of deadly ethnic clashes six years ago is under investigation for alleged graft.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on its website yesterday that Li Zhi, who was also formerly deputy chief of the Xinjiang's people's congress, is suspected of serious violations of party discipline and law, a term that usually refers to corruption. It gave no further details.
Li, 64, became party chief of Urumqi, in November 2006, but was sacked two months after riots on July 5, 2009. Ethnic tensions between Han and Uygurs had erupted into clashes that left 197 dead and more than 1,600 injured in the city.
Tensions escalated on September 3, 2009, when thousands of Han Chinese protested in the city, demanding the resignation of regional party boss Wang Lequan as reports of mysterious syringe attacks triggered fear among residents.
Li was widely remembered for standing on top of a police vehicle in Nanmen Square for nearly two hours, begging the protesters to go home.
Li was later fired, becoming what many say was a scapegoat for Wang.
