Figures from the Anti-Bribery Bureau of Guangzhou show that between January and June, 202 cases of occupational crime were filed for investigation and prosecution.

The cases involved 205 officials, with 55 county level officials charged during the first half of this year. Cases involving county level or more senior officials reached 95 last year -- 35.7 percent up on 2000.

Lu Tiefeng, director general of the local Anti-Bribery Bureau, said such crimes occurred in the construction sector with 70 percent involving bribery, accounting for one third of the total occupational crimes in city.

This was because construction departments involve large capital flows, Lu added.

And it is closely related to areas like engineering, construction project, civil planning, real estate, and urban construction and involves sectors of land, fund, design and supervision -- all prone to crime.

The investigation and prosecution department filed 109 cases last year involving construction departments, representing more than one third of all occupational crime cases.

Between January and May, 69 cases were filed -- an increase on the same period last year.

Officials have vowed to act with the local construction commission, the commission for discipline inspection and the prosecutors' office have joining hands to strengthen supervision.

The Construction Commission of Guangzhou will establish a public supervision office in early August to put administration under social supervision.

(China Daily July 31, 2002)