Due to intensified efforts to combat corruption, more senior official in Shanghai were investigated for corruption in 2015 than the previous year, according to a statement from the chief prosecutor of the city on Tuesday, as reported by Shanghai Daily.
Prosecutors investigated a total of 428 people who have been linked with 363 corruption cases, including seven bureau directors and 51 department directors. The number is around 40 percent more than in 2014, according to the annual report of Chen Xu, chief prosecutor of the Shanghai People's Prosecutors' Office, to the Shanghai People's Congress.
Dai Habo, former deputy secretary-general of the city government, was among the bureau directors investigated. He was charged with taking 3.24 million yuan ($346,000), plus more than $39,000 and HK$300,000 ($38,500) in bribes.
Feng Jun, former general manager of State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Co., has been charged with taking 43.47 million yuan worth in bribes, alone or with partners. He was also not able to account for property worth 76 million yuan.
Jiang Xiefu, former Party chief of Baoshan District, was charged with accepting over 1.74 million yuan in bribes when he was serving as Party secretary of the district, Party secretary of the housing, land and resource administration of the city, and a senior lawmaker from 1997 to 2008.
Among the deputy bureau directors investigated were Li Jun, former vice president of Shanghai Huayi (Group) Company; Lu Jin, former deputy director of Jinshan District; Guo Hong, former deputy human resources director of China Railway Corporation; and Cui Jian, former deputy general manager of Baosteel Group Corp.
Chen also said that 10 local corruption suspects who had fled overseas were caught in 2015.
City prosecutors have also been cracking down on those who offer bribes, said Chen. There have been investigations into 112 suspects of 89 cases.
There were arrest warrants issued for 27,691 people in criminal cases in 2015, while prosecutions were launched against 42,343 people.
In 2014, only 29,577 people were issued arrest warrant for criminal cases, with prosecutions launched against 42,791 people.
In contrast, there was a total of 953 people who were prosecuted for serious criminal offenses like murder, robbery and kidnapping in 2015, 10 percent lesser than in 2014.