The Organization Department of the CCCPC recently circulated a notice on four bribery cases related to "selling official posts". This includes Li Tiecheng, former secretary of Jingyu county Party committee of Jilin province, Shang Dianju, former secretary of Kuandian county Party committee of Liaoning province, Sun Kongwen, former secretary of Mengcheng county Party committee of Anhui province, Ma Zhaode, former director of Hainan Provincial Administration of Industry and Commerce.

During his term as acting chief executive of Jingyu county particularly as the secretary of the county Party Committee Li Tiecheng availed himself of the office and accepted bribes totaling RMB 1.69 million Yuan. In December 2002 Li Tiecheng was expelled out of the Party and dismissed from his post. In January 2003 he was sentenced to 15-year imprisonment.

During his tenure of office as the secretary of the county Party Committee Shang Dianju made use of his office and took bribes totaling RMB 1.169 million-Yuan. In December 2003 Shang Dianju was expelled out of the Party and dismissed from his post. In the same month he was sentenced to life-long imprisonment and deprived of political rights for life. During his terms of office as the secretary of the county Party committee Sun Kongwen took the advantage of the office and received bribes totaling RMB 380,000 Yuan. In October 2003 Sun Kongwen was sentenced to 11-year imprisonment.

While he was in his office as the secretary of the county Party committee, secretary of the Party Group and director of Hainan Provincial Administration of Industry and Commerce Ma Zhaode, using his official post accepted bribes totaling RMB 920,000 Yuan. In May 2003, he was kicked out of the party and removed from his post. In August 2003 he was sentenced to 11-year imprisonment and deprived of political rights for 3 years.

The notification points out that as leaders, especially the chief leaders of the leading groups Li Tiecheng, Shang Dianju, Sun Kongwen and Ma Zhaode should have set examples in observing discipline of the Party and the law of the country and honestly performing official duties. On the contrary their malpractice of authority and wantonly "selling official posts" to feather their own nests have seriously tarnished the image of the cadres. Being mercilessly punished by Party discipline and the law of the country they have no one but themselves to blame.

(People's Daily February 17, 2004)