Chinese anti-graft authorities are investigating a television producer related to a disgraced former presidential aide probed for graft last month, Chinese media reported yesterday, as the leadership widens a crackdown on corruption.
Luo Fanghua (羅芳華), an executive of the business channel at state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), is the latest of several of the network’s senior producers, executives and journalists to face investigation for corruption.
Luo is married to the brother-in-law of Ling Jihua (令計劃), once a top aide to former Chinese president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) who came under investigation last month, according to ThePaper.cn, a state-backed news Web site.
Luo’s husband, Gu Yuanxu (谷源旭), was fired from his public security post in Heilongjiang Province after Ling came under investigation, the report said, citing respected financial news magazine Caixin.
Ling was demoted in September 2012 after sources said his son was involved in the deadly crash of a flashy sports car, embarrassing the Chinese Communist Party, which is sensitive over perceptions of extravagance by top party officials and their families.
Prosecutors detained popular news anchor Rui Chenggang (芮成鋼), also from CCTV’s finance channel, in July last year. Two network executives, Guo Zhenxi (郭振璽) and Li Yong (李勇), were also detained last summer.
A total of eight senior directors, producers and anchors from the successful business channel were interrogated over bribery allegations over the past year, ThePaper.cn reported.
China has vowed to crack down on corruption in its media, including the state-owned press, where critics say journalists are susceptible to bribery.
The powerful Central Military Commission will send an inspection team to the party committee of the China Armed Police Force, the official China Daily reported yesterday. The police force is responsible for domestic security.
The team will scrutinize housing projects, personnel management and real estate, the newspaper said.
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