Probe of official continues after teacher's death

A former government official who is suspected of involvement in the death of a female teacher in East China's Fujian province has been transferred to judicial authorities on allegations of corruption.

Liu Zhenxing, former head of the Meilie district government of Sanming city, was expelled from the Party organization and removed from public office for grave violation of Party discipline, according to a statement released on Wednesday on the website of the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog.

The disciplinary authorities found that Liu used his position to make profits for others, accepted bribes, embezzled public funds and indulged in "moral corruption" — a term meaning a official has a mistress.

Liu's illegal gains have been confiscated by the disciplinary authorities, and he has been transferred to judicial authorities for further investigation, the statement said.

In China, officials accused of corruption are always investigated by the Party's disciplinary authorities before being transferred to the prosecutors.

On April 3, Wang Shaoyun, a female teacher from Jinsha High School, was found dead in front of Liu's office building. The police said later that Wang had fallen from Liu's office window on the 12th floor.

The police ruled out the possibility of murder but it was unclear why the woman was in the official's office.

The woman's husband said she had previously submitted whistle-blowing material, telling anti-graft agencies that Liu had mistresses and had embezzled public funds, Xinhua News Agency reported.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn