Some 386 corruption cases involving 436 officials and 171 million yuan (US$20.7 million) were cracked this year in Shanghai by the end of November, Zou Chuanji, deputy procurator-general of the Shanghai People's Procuratorate, said on Wednesday.

"Approximate 68 million yuan (US$8.2 million) of the corrupt money has been retrieved," said Zou at a press conference on Wednesday.

"Cases involving graft of more than 50,000 yuan (US$6,000) and officials at and above divisional level, which are considered as 'big' and 'significant,' still make up the main portion," Zou said.

Cases found in State-owned enterprises (SOE), in which individuals involved in graft took advantage of SOE reforms and caused losses of public assets, make up a considerable percentage, said Zou.

"A total of 259 corrupt cases were found in Shanghai SOEs this year, which constitute 67 per cent of all cases," said Zou.

"In one case found in Baoshan District, the local prosecutor's office managed to save some 14 million yuan (US$1.69 million) in SOE assets from flowing away."

Corruption in government organizations, judicial and law enforcement departments still constitutes a certain part of the problems.

"In the anti-corruption campaign fought within the State organizations, some 49 corruption incidents were detected this year," said Zou.

Zou also indicated a significant increase in corruption in culture and media related fields.

"In the first 11 months, Shanghai detected 14 cases involving 15 officials in those fields, compared with nine cases and nine embezzlers in 2002 and 2003," said Zou.

"Zhang Rongming, an official in Huaxin Town of Qingpu District who was responsible for developing the town's cable network, was sentenced to eight years in prison this November for having embezzled 330,000 yuan (US$40,000) and taken bribes of 20,000 yuan (US$2,400)."

"While corruption decreases in some fields, it grows in other fields," said Zou.

In educational and medical fields, the corruption was found to have been decreasing.

Shen Jianxin, director of the Anti-Corruption Department under the procuratorate, promised an even more severe strike next year.

"To foster more professional anti-corruption enforcement staff will be one of our key tasks," said Shen.

(China Daily December 17, 2004)