Former Shanghai land official might under probe

Source: Xinhuanet | 04-04-2007 15:07

SHANGHAI, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Communist officials have probably launched an investigation into another high-ranking official in Shanghai as they continue their probe into the city's pension fund scandal, according to local reports.

Yin Guoyuan, former deputy director of the Shanghai housing, land and resources administrative bureau, is under investigation, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Wednesday.

An unnamed discipline inspection official said a formal report on the issue would be released "in the future", according to the newspaper.

The official did not disclose the nature of the allegations against Yin.

Yin, who took up his former post in January 1995, left to become chairman of the Shanghai Land Institute in October 2005.

"Because he was in charge of land-use approval, almost all land transfer contracts required Yin's signature," said a former worker at the Shanghai Housing, Land and Resources Administrative Bureau.

The worker said he had a reputation as taking an academic approach to his work and he had a deep understanding of land issues.

On Nov. 6, 2006, an internal bureau notice said that Zhu Wenjin, director of the bureau's land-utilization management department, was under investigation for "abuse of office by allowing others to profit in exchange for cash and expensive gifts".

Last month, the CPC discipline inspection commission announced that nine members of the Party, including Zhu, involved in the pension fund case were being investigated for serious violations of Party discipline.

A source close to Yin, who was Zhu's boss at the time, said Yin was very nervous because of the "complicated land management work", and had been sleeping badly.

Yin's mobile phone has been switched off, and staff at the Shanghai Land Institute told reporters that Yin would not appear in public, the newspaper reported.

Former Shanghai Party chief Chen Liangyu was removed from his post for his involvement in the Shanghai pension fund scandal last year. Officials misappropriated 3.7 billion yuan (483 million US dollars) from the fund to invest in risky real estate, roads and other projects.

Editor:Du Xiaodan