Trending in China: ‘Lenient’ Punishment of Corrupt Retired Official Sparks Anger
76-year-old Zhong Gengci, former director of the Shenzhen transportation bureau’s freight management branch was expelled from the party, but was not charged and still got to keep his retirement benefi
Retired official Zhong Gengci (right) was found to have abused his power while in office. His case surfaced after his granddaughter (left) flaunted the family’s wealth online in March.
What’s trending?
Netizens in China are outraged about what they view as lenient punishment handed down to a 76-year-old retired official, who was not criminally indicted after he was found to have accepted bribes, with some demanding criminal charges brought against him and the amount of his illegal gains made public.
Zhong Gengci, former director of the Shenzhen transportation bureau’s freight management branch who retired in 2007, was expelled from the party but got to keep his retirement benefits, albeit after being lowered to a level given to an entry-level clerk.
Internet users noted that there was no mention of turning Zhong over to judicial authorities in the local anti-graft agencies’ announcement, which also did not disclose the amount of his ill-gotten gains — both of which are otherwise common practice in high-profile corruption cases in China.
The controversy has attracted wide attention online since it first came to light in March, when Zhong’s granddaughter flaunted the family’s wealth online using social media, under the handle “Arctic Catfish.”
One of the hashtags following the latest development #官方回应北极鲶鱼爷爷处罚过轻质疑 (#Official responds to questions about Arctic Catfish’s grandfather’s lenient punishment) has garnered over 140 million views and thousands of comments on Weibo as of Wednesday afternoon.
What’s the story?
In March, an internet user named “Arctic Catfish” made comments on Weibo claiming her family has savings amounting to figures in the nine-digits and that her family’s money was provided by the “commoners,” which triggered an online outcry. The user’s previous posts stated that her grandfather was a high-ranking transport official and said “feel it’s corruption” in one comment.
The Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau issued a statement on March 24, stating that the comments involved one of its former employees surnamed Zhong, who had retired in November 2007. The bureau said it initiated an investigation to look into the matter. The Weibo account of Arctic Catfish had since been suspended.
A media report from China Newsweek in March quoted Zhong denying the nine-figure family income and stating that his family had earned their wealth honestly.
Over six months later, Shenzhen supervisory authorities issued a statement Tuesday, stating that Zhong had taken advantage of his power in seeking benefits for others and accepted assets in return, as well as illegally engaging in profit-making activities and unauthorized part-time work.
Local graft busters also found Zhong, who joined the party in 1971 at the age of 23, had deceived the party and colluded with others to resist investigation into the suspected corruption, the statement added.
Zhong, who turns 76 in November, was punished by being expelled from the Communist Party of China, with his retirement benefits slashed and his ill-gotten gains confiscated, Shenzhen supervisory authorities decided.
In response to public questions about the lenient penalty and failure to disclose the monetary value of bribes he received, Shenzhen transport bureau staff told a local media outlet from Henan province that they are aware of this matter, but there is no more information to be disclosed.
What are people saying online?
While some social media users applauded the outcome of the investigation months after the allegations first surfaced, many believe the punishment given to Zhong was too light, with some questioning why no criminal charges have been brought since he has violated discipline rules and received illegal gains.
“Why is he not held criminally liable for serious violations of the law and discipline, and is instead still given the retirement benefits of a second-grade clerk?” one internet user asked.
Another made the criticism that this case exemplifies that the cost of committing a crime is too low, adding that “no wonder the corrupt officials will never be eliminated, they will only multiply.”
“Each of the [punishments] is painless for families like [Zhong’s] and won’t even have the slightest impact on them,” another Weibo comment read.
Others are asking for more information to be revealed regarding the case, especially the amount of the illegal gains that Zhong received. “People have the right to monitor, the right to know and the right to report, why are [the officials] not able to disclose [the information]?” one Weibo user asked.
On Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency published a commentary, saying that Zhong’s case sent a clear signal that “retirement is not a protective amulet and the anti-corruption campaign will not stop.”