A Communist Party of China (CPC) chief has warned fellow cadres
and government officials about the possibility of "holiday
corruption" bribes disguised as "traditional holiday gifts".
"Holiday corruption has seriously hampered economic development
and the building of a harmonious society," said Xu Guangchun, secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the CPC.
Xu cited the case of Luan Weidong, a county-level official who
had taken bribes worth a combined 823,000 yuan ($105,000) during
the spring and mid-autumn festivals over the course of five
years.
Luan was caught accepting money from subordinates and business
leaders from 1999 to 2004, when he served as head of Xihua County
in Henan Province. He defended himself by saying that accepting
money on holidays is a Chinese tradition. "I have to send back the
same or more on weddings, funerals or other festival occasions," he
said.
Qin Sankuan, a lawyer, said it would be difficult to prove
whether an exchange of money actually qualified as "holiday
bribery" because the people who hand over the money generally do
not seek immediate reward. Instead they tend to view the "gifts" as
long-term "investments".
However, people who give large sums could be expected to ask for
something in return, Qin said.
Zhao Sihai, the head of a local company, said he gave Luan
130,000 yuan ($16,667) every Spring Festival from 1999 to 2003. He
said the money had "functioned well" in helping Zhao benefit
illegally from Luan's influence.
Yang Hongchao, a law professor at Henan Agricultural University,
said the government should draft regulations to crack down on
"holiday corruption" and build mechanisms to monitor officials in
places like entertainment venues.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)