Five tobacco officials held in bribery case

FIVE tobacco bureau officials in Anhui have been arrested in the province's largest bribery case.

Among those arrested was the deputy chief of the Bangbu city tobacco monopoly bureau, Wei Xiuling, accused of taking about five million yuan (HK$4.65 million) in bribes, plus foreign currency and goods from tobacco suppliers.

A Bangbu procuratorate official yesterday said Wei had been in charge of buying raw materials in the bureau.

'Wei cashed in on his work by suppressing the purchasing prices,' the official claimed.

Four colleagues of Wei were also arrested.

An official at an anti-corruption bureau under the city's procuratorate, meanwhile, said the case was still under investigation and refused to reveal more details.

The media said members of the public had reported Wei to the procuratorate in March. Action was taken against suspected corrupt officials after 50 days of investigation.