244 corrupt officials punished by anti-graft authorities last week

Misuse of government vehicles was the top violation out of 174 cases of corrupt officials who were punished last week, the country's top anti-graft agency announced on Monday.

Disciplinary authorities nationwide have found that government vehicles had been misused in 33 cases, according to the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Last week, 244 officials were punished for various misbehaviors, including violating the frugality rules, sightseeing on public expense and drinking alcohol during lunch breaks on workdays, according to the anti-graft agency.

Of those cases, 23 involved officials giving illegal subsidies to civil servants, 20 related to officials playing mahjong or shopping online during work time, and 10 showed officials were late for work.

The officials' names and titles were publicized on the commission's website. So far, 719 cases have been exposed on the website since April 8.

Violators were given penalties that included warnings, administrative demerits and even removal from posts.

In one case, Liao Jie, an official from Fuyang township of Fuchuan county in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, drove a government van to his home after work on April 16. He received a demerit on his record as punishment.

Twenty-two of the punished officials were accused of accepting gifts and money for occasions such as birthdays, new residences, weddings and even funerals.

In October, Zhang Daowang, an official from Ouning township in Jian'ou, Fujian province, was removed from his post for accepting 11,000 yuan ($1,760) from business associates during his son's wedding. He was also ordered to give back the money he accepted.Strike at the root of corruption Corrupt officials under heavy pressure, commission says

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has forbidden officials from throwing grand ations for weddings and birthdays since some officials have taken advantage of such events to receive money — often as bribes — from subordinates jockeying for promotion, or from businesses seeking contracts or regulatory approval.

Eight government officials were punished in four cases for being impatient with the public. For example, Dong Jie, an official with the bureau of human resources and social security of Hohhot, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, received a warning for being impatient with a resident who went to Dong seeking information about social security issues on March 20.

All of the cases violated the "eight-point" rules put forward by the CPC Central Committee in December 2012. Government officials are required to get closer to the public by cleaning up undesirable work styles, including extravagance and self-indulgence.

A total of 30,420 officials were punished by disciplinary authorities last year for violating the frugality rules, according to the Party's anti-graft agency.

Li Yufu, deputy chief of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said during an online interview last week that the commission will continue to focus on violations of the frugality rules since the public has high expectations of the government agencies.

The public is encouraged to report officials' misbehaviors, and any tips will be investigated thoroughly, he said.