Former official in Guangzhou under graft investigation

Cao Jianliao, former deputy mayor of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, who was investigated for allegedly taking nearly 300 million yuan ($49.1 million) in bribes was transferred to the judicial department for a further investigation and future prosecution recently, according to the local anti-graft body.

Cao, who was investigated in December, has also been expelled from the Party and was dismissed from public office for corruption and serious violations of Party discipline and laws earlier this year, the body said.

After Cao was put under investigation, he admitted to extorting money through reconstruction of the old city and through land requisitions in the southern metropolis in the past two decades, local media reported.

Cao, born in 1955, was reported to have refused promotion many times because he thought he could get more in bribes in a lower position.

In 1992, Cao allegedly accepted a bribe valued at 2 million yuan from a Hong Kong property developer after he illegally granted land use rights on a parcel in Guangzhou's Shahe township.

Cao was Party secretary of Shahe township at that time. He was in charge of reconstruction and land requisition in the township, located in a prime location of Guangzhou.

A village official from Xiancun, in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, recalled that Cao once asked his subordinates to write to higher officials asking them to allow Cao to retain the township leadership when he was promoted to the district government.

Cao admitted to having made many real estate developer friends who helped him build a villa and paid for overseas tours during his official career. In return, many of the friends received special treatment from Cao in the reconstruction of the old downtown areas of Guangzhou and in land requisition.

Cao was also investigated on suspicion of having sex with at least 11 women, including university students, when he was in office, local media have reported.

Zhang Hao, an associate professor at the Guangdong provincial Party school, said officials have attached too much importance to developing ability and assessing economic achievements while failing to assess an individual's morality and personal behavior before promotion.

"Relevant departments should introduce an open, fair and just system soon to assess and promote Party and government officials," Zhang said.

Meanwhile transparent and effective democratic supervision should be established to monitor the operation of government departments and top Party and government officials, he said.

Cao's wife and children have emigrated.