Week in Review from the New York Times:
The corruption scandal in Shanghai that had already taken down one of China’s most powerful officials claimed two smaller scalps last week: the chief of the national statistics bureau was fired, and an official with the Formula One racing circuit was hauled in for qut by an investigative team sent down from Beijing by the party’s Central Inspection Discipline Commission. It is a reminder that often the Communist Party opts to address corruption outside the law.
The Shanghai investigation is a case in point. Under Mr. Hu’s orders, the powerful party boss Chen Liangyu, also a member of the ruling Politburo, was arrested last month on allegations that he misused city pension funds for speculative real estate deals and other ventures. Notably, he was detained not by the local police or prosecutors but by an investigative team sent down from Beijing by the party’s Central Inspection Discipline Commission. It is a reminder that often the Communist Party opts to address corruption outside the law.
– See also CDT’s The Aftershocks of the Shanghai Political Earthquake (part 6)
Technorati Tags: corruption, Chen Liangyu, rule of law
