The former justice bureau chief who fell in the Chongqing organised-crime investigation apparently had his own version of Fort Knox.
Besides eight luxury properties, authorities had seized gold bars and cash worth 38 million yuan (HK$43.2 million), state media reported. The total value of the seizures were estimated at 100 million yuan.
Wen Qiang was detained last month for investigation on suspicion of giving protection to criminal gangs after the municipality launched a high-profile crackdown on rampant crime. More than 1,500 suspects have been detained so far.
The report by the Chengdu Economic Daily on Wednesday marked the first time Chongqing authorities had given details of Wen’s alleged offences since he was placed under investigation by the Communist Party on August 7.
“Authorities have found a huge number of gold bars and banknotes, including Chinese and foreign currencies, valued at some 38 million yuan from Wen’s residence,” the newspaper reported.
Among the eight properties that investigators found under Wen’s name was a lavish 30 million yuan villa given by a land resources official and a developer as a bribe, the report said.
“It has been widely circulated among the public that Wen gained the 13 square kilometres of land in a national forest park in Wulong county for free from a land-resources official there,” the report said. “A real estate developer built the two-building villa for him for free.”
Investigators also discovered three villas and four other properties valued at about 30 million yuan.
Since the crackdown started, Chongqing police have arrested many billionaires and gang bosses involved in illegal businesses such as casinos, loan-sharking and extortion. They were believed to have paid huge sums to Wen for protection during the past decade.
State media said Wen had shrugged off widespread criticism of his behaviour since 2000, but an investigation into his actions had not begun until recently. He was Chongqing’s deputy police bureau chief for 16 years until last year.
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Former justice chief had his own ‘Fort Knox’
Fiona Tam
04 September 2009
The former justice bureau chief who fell in the Chongqing organised-crime investigation apparently had his own version of Fort Knox.
Besides eight luxury properties, authorities had seized gold bars and cash worth 38 million yuan (HK$43.2 million), state media reported. The total value of the seizures were estimated at 100 million yuan.
Wen Qiang was detained last month for investigation on suspicion of giving protection to criminal gangs after the municipality launched a high-profile crackdown on rampant crime. More than 1,500 suspects have been detained so far.
The report by the Chengdu Economic Daily on Wednesday marked the first time Chongqing authorities had given details of Wen’s alleged offences since he was placed under investigation by the Communist Party on August 7.
“Authorities have found a huge number of gold bars and banknotes, including Chinese and foreign currencies, valued at some 38 million yuan from Wen’s residence,” the newspaper reported.
Among the eight properties that investigators found under Wen’s name was a lavish 30 million yuan villa given by a land resources official and a developer as a bribe, the report said.
“It has been widely circulated among the public that Wen gained the 13 square kilometres of land in a national forest park in Wulong county for free from a land-resources official there,” the report said. “A real estate developer built the two-building villa for him for free.”
Investigators also discovered three villas and four other properties valued at about 30 million yuan.
Since the crackdown started, Chongqing police have arrested many billionaires and gang bosses involved in illegal businesses such as casinos, loan-sharking and extortion. They were believed to have paid huge sums to Wen for protection during the past decade.
State media said Wen had shrugged off widespread criticism of his behaviour since 2000, but an investigation into his actions had not begun until recently. He was Chongqing’s deputy police bureau chief for 16 years until last year.
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