A corruption investigation into Shanghai's booming real estate industry widened yesterday, as more officials were sacked following the ousting of the city's top leader, state press said.
Xu Jianguo (
The three were removed by a meeting of the Shanghai People's Congress on Friday. No reason was given for their sackings.
The dismissals came after the central government announced last week that top Shanghai leader Chen Liangyu (陳良宇) was fired as city boss and suspended from the powerful 24-member Communist Party politburo for his role in a pension fund scandal.
His sacking was the most seniorfor corruption in a decade.
The probe, which has already ensnared several other senior city officials, centers on the alleged misuse of up to US$400 million from Shanghai's US$1.2-billion retirement fund.
The money was allegedly siphoned off into unauthorized investments.
A local newspaper said the party's disciplinary commission is expanding its probe into a dozen large-scale developers.
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