By staff reporter Zhu Tao

A central government official in charge of licensing food production companies killed himself August 2 in Beijing after meeting with party discipline officers the day before, sources told Caijing.

Wu Jianping, 42, had headed the Department of Supervision on Food Production at the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine since 2005.

Communist Party discipline officials launched a probe after receiving several reports accusing Wu of “personal financial problems.”

Sources told Caijing that Wu had acknowledged to disciplinary officers that he held several real estate assets in Beijing and bank deposits of more than 1 million yuan.

The night after the meeting, Wu did not return home. Sources close to Wu said he committed suicide by jumping from a building, although it’s not known where the death occurred nor whether discipline officials were present.
 
Wu’s department issued licenses for food production companies and conducted compulsory inspections for product quality, safety and hygiene.

Among the estimated 450,000 food producers in China, less than a quarter have food production licenses.

1 yuan = 14 U.S. cents