Former Beijing Vice Mayor Liu Zhihua was sacked for his own
problems and had nothing to do with the 2008 Olympic Games, said
Wang Hui, director of the information office of the Beijing
municipal government.
Wang, who is also an Olympic media service official, has been
quoted by the China News Service as saying that Liu had
never held a post in the organizing committee of the Olympic Games,
and his expulsion would not affect the preparation of the
games.
Liu Zhihua had been expelled from the Communist Party of China
(CPC) and all administrative posts, the Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection of the CPC announced Tuesday.
The commission's investigation of Liu supported allegations that
he had taken advantage of his posts as vice mayor and
secretary-general of the municipal government to take several
million yuan in bribes.
The commission also alleged that Liu's lifestyle was "corrupt
and depraved" and he abused his power in order to contract projects
for his mistress and sought large illegal profits.
Wang said no official in the organizing committee of the Olympic
Games has been linked with any corruption allegations.
Wang Haitao, director of the information office of Qingdao, a
port city in east China's Shandong Province and a co-host city of the
2008 Olympic Games, also promised to avoid corruption.
He said a supervision committee has been set up in Qingdao, and
all the construction works and officials are under strict
supervision.
(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2006)