Since 1997, 17 provincial transportation officials have been
investigated for corruption, along with hundreds of officials of
lower rank.
On March 16, the most recent case saw a top communications
and highways official in Beijing sentenced to death with a two-year
reprieve, essentially life in prison. Bi Yuxi had taken 10 million
yuan (US$1.2 million) in bribes and embezzled 3 million yuan
(US$361,446) in state-owned assets.
The extent of corruption in transport departments has aroused
concern amongst the public and media, which have attributed it to
rapid development in the country's transport infrastructure and
lack of effective supervision mechanisms.
Over 1.7 trillion yuan has been invested in highway
infrastructure since 1998, nearly twice the total of the previous
40 years. The total length of expressways increased from 10,000 km
in 1999 to 34,000 km by the end of 2004, ranking second in the
world.
The massive influx of money into the sector has encouraged
hundreds of corrupt officials, especially those in charge of
transportation projects. Most of those convicted have been
sentenced to long-term prison sentences or death for taking huge
bribes.
According to the media, many of these officials were once honest
but became crooked after becoming heads of transportation
departments.
Most transportation infrastructure projects are funded, built
and supervised by local governments, meaning that investors,
builders and supervisors practically belong to the same
department.
"In such circumstances, without effective supervision, it is not
unusual for those in charge of the project to pocket several
million from the total cost of several billion yuan," said an
anonymous official who had worked in a transport department for 30
years.
Local transportation directors often decide who gets each
building contract, though this should be arranged through public
bidding according to the law, the official said.
"Builders still have to bribe local officials to receive final
approval," he added.
Critics have said these cases prove that a supervision mechanism
based on division of investors, builders and supervisors is
urgently needed.
Ju Jinwen, professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
said that each department's monopoly of power is the major reason
for rampant corruption among transportation officials.
He said that the only way to ultimately resolve the problem is
to introduce market-orientated investment and management systems to
state-funded transportation projects.
"China's transportation infrastructure market should be more
open to private and foreign investors, and more severe judicial
means should be introduced to control quality," Ju said.
The 17 provincial transportation officials investigated for
corruption since 1997 are:
1. Zeng Jincheng, former director of Communication
Department in Henan
Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1997.
2. Liu Zhongshan, former director of Communication
Department in Sichuan
Province, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in
2000.
3. Zheng Daofang, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Sichuan Province, was sentenced to death in 2000.
4. Zhang Kuntong, former director of Communication
Department in Henan Province, was sentenced to life in prison in
2001.
5. Ma Qiwei, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Hunan
Province, was sentenced to life in prison in 2001.
6. Chu Zhitian, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, was sentenced to 11 years in prison
in 2002.
7. Li Xianglei, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Guangdong
Province, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2002.
8. Lu Wanli, former director of Communication Department in
Guizhou
Province, was sentenced to death in May 2004 in the first
trial, and is now in second trial.
9. Shi Faliang, former director of Communication Department
in Henan Province, was arrested for taking bribes in 2004, and his
case now has been sent to judicial departments.
10. Niu He'en, former director of Communication Department
in Guangdong Province, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in
2005.
11. Zhang Youde, former director of Communication
Department in Guizhou Province, was sentenced to 17 years and six
months in prison in 2003.
12. Aman Haji, vice chairman of Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region and former director of Communication
Department, was arrested for corruption in 2004, and his case has
been sent to judicial departments.
13. Zhang Junyuan, former director of Communication
Department in Jiangsu
Province, was removed from his post for violation of law and
regulations in 2004 and was under investigation.
14. Wang Xingyao, former director of Communication
Department in Anhui
Province, was arrested for involvement in economic crimes in
2004.
15. Wang Xiaoci, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Heilongjiang
Province, was sentenced to life in prison in 2004.
16. Jin Fuxiang, former deputy director of Communication
Department in Yunnan
Province, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison
in 2004.
17. Bi Yuxi, former deputy director of Beijing's
communication bureau, was sentenced to death with a two-year
reprieve in 2005.
(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2005)