‘I drink tea worth US$60,000’: junior staff in China suspended after online claims about lavish lifestyle and connections in high places
- Zhou Jie, who holds a general position at a state-owned firm, was suspended on Wednesday after he made claims on social media about his fantastic wealth
- He bragged about socialising with high-level officials, claiming he was once given a cigarette by a deputy provincial governor worth US$180 a carton
An employee at a state-owned company in eastern China was suspended after an investigation into social media claims he made about achieving great wealth and having connections with senior government officials, prompting public speculation about corruption.
State-owned Capital Operation Holding Group in Jiangxi province issued a statement on Wednesday that said claims made by employee Zhou Jie – such as that he once drank tea that cost 400,000 yuan (US$60,000) per kilogram – were lies made up “out of vanity”.
“The story that a certain provincial government leader gave him a cigarette was false. Zhou made it up to show off.”
Zhou, who is from Nanchang in Jiangxi province, attracted national attention over the weekend when a series of screenshots of his WeChat Moments showing off his claimed wealth and power were widely circulated.
After the screenshots of his posts went viral, they came to his employer’s attention, the company said in a statement on Monday.