A probe has been launched into claims three officials in Shantou's Chaonan district took bribes over the illegal use of farmland to build tombs.

Li Rongxing, deputy director of Xiancheng township; Huang Tingzhou, deputy director of the district forestry bureau, and Zhao Chuzhou, director of the township forestry station, were all under police investigation, a spokesman surnamed Zheng told China Daily yesterday.

Zhu Zhenfeng, the Party secretary for Dongfushan village, has been sacked and striped of his Party membership for his part in the scandal.

The move follows reports by China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday on three extravagantly large tombs built in a village where arable land was scarce. One is owned by Zhu, the others by three business people of the same family.

Li and Huang are suspected of having taken bribes to allow Zhu to use the farmland, while Zhao is accused of dereliction of duty for failing to detect the illegal acts.

"One massive tomb, owned by Zhu, has been razed and restored for tree farming, with the other two to be dealt with in the same way within the week," Zheng said.

According to CCTV reports, Zhu's tomb covered an area of about 24 mu (1.6 ha), while the other two covered a combined area of 200 mu (13 ha). The average arable land per capita in the village is 0.2 mu (0.01 ha).

(China Daily April 8, 2009)