By staff reporters Luo Jieqi and Luo Changping

(Caijing.com.cn) Two provincial officials have been detained and dismissed from their posts on suspicion of taking bribes from Huang Guangyu, the former head of appliance retailer GOME, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Citing the State Organizational Department, Xinhua said the officials were in positions within the Guangdong government to investigate corruption when the alleged bribes took place.

Huang is being investigated for alleged “economic crimes,” including stock market manipulation and money-laundering. The investigation into his business activities, which helped him become China’s wealthiest man at one point, have already taken in the former head of the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau Zheng Shaodong, who allegedly had dealings with an associate of Huang accused of money-laundering in behalf of the founder of GOME, China’s largest appliance chain.

Xinhua said the two new officials swept up in the economic crimes probe are Chen Shaoji, Guangdong committee chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and former party secretary for the Guangdong Disciplinary Committee Wang Huayuan.

Chen Shaoji

Wang was serving as party secretary of the Zhejiang Disciplinary Committee at the time of his removal, but the pair worked together in Guangdong until Wang’s transfer in 2006.

Disciplinary committees are the highest local bodies with authority to investigate corruption within the party.

Caijing has learned from persons close to the investigation that Chen’s bribery investigation is based on assets held by his family beyond Chen’s legitimate earnings.

A Guangdong provincial-level official said some of his colleagues were notified of the investigation on April 14, with leading local officials warning them to prepare for a wave of negative media reports concerning Guangdong.

Chen was last seen on April 5 in Zhuhai at a ceremony honoring a former table tennis world champion. 
 
Full Article in Chinese: http://www.caijing.com.cn/2009-04-16/110146712.html