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)