When Zhang Xiaochuan, the former
director of the Radio, Film and Television Bureau of Chongqing
Municipality, came under questioning for embezzlement and accepting
bribes last year, he revealed that one of his accessories was his
superior, Zhang Zonghai.
He said that he and Zhang Zonghai, director of the Publicity
Department of Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, took several
gambling excursions to Macao together. The pair used nearly 200
million yuan (US$24.1 million) in public funds as their stake,
losing more than 100 million yuan (US$12.0 million) at the Lisboa
Casino.
When Zhang Zonghai was placed under detention last month by the
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party
of China (CPC), he was found to have in his possession some 9
million yuan (US$1.1 million) worth of private property. He could
not explain how he had acquired it.
Under questioning by the discipline inspection commission, Zhang
Zonghai revealed that he had accepted the property and money in
bribes during his term as party secretary of Chongqing's Qianjiang
Prefecture, the post he held before being promoted to head the
Publicity Department in May 2002.
The 54-year-old Zhang Zonghai is the highest official to be
detained for economic crimes in Chongqing Municipality. He has been
removed from his position.
(Strait News, translated by Li Liangdu for china.org.cn,
July 6, 2004)