According to a 14/7 report by Modern Express, the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection recently announced the expulsion from the Communist Party and dismissal of four officials. They are being investigated for alleged violations related to promoting problematic officials, accepting bribes to facilitate promotions, and improperly transferring personnel.

The investigation stems from the sentencing of Fu Xuehai, the former party secretary and finance director of Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, which circulated online in late June.

Fu was sentenced to 25 years in prison for multiple offenses, including embezzlement, bribery, intentional injury, and bid-rigging. The verdict highlighted Fu's three prior convictions for theft and assault, despite which he became a civil servant and received multiple promotions.

How did someone with a history of theft and assault rise to become a director?

Downfall due to embezzlement and bribery

According to information published on the local government's website on 1/9/2023, Fu was suspected of serious disciplinary and legal violations and was investigated by the Anze County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Public records stated Fu, born in 1972, was a Hongdong County native with a university degree. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in October 1990 and began working in November 2007. He served as deputy secretary of the Hongdong County Housing and Construction Management Bureau and director of the County Real Estate Management Service Center. He was later promoted to secretary and director of the Hongdong County Housing and Construction Management Bureau and head of Urban Administrative Law Enforcement and Management. In September 2022, Fu was appointed party secretary and finance director of Hongdong County.

In June 2023, the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection publicly reported Fu's violations. The report detailed that between 2018 and 2020, Fu repeatedly accepted wine, premium cigarettes, and other gifts totaling 170,000 CNY. He also engaged in other serious disciplinary and legal violations. In December 2023, Fu was expelled from the party and dismissed from his position, with his case transferred to the prosecutor's office for investigation and prosecution.

In January 2024, the Anze County People's Procuratorate indicted Fu for embezzlement, bribery, intentional injury, and bid-rigging.

On 21/4/2024, the Anze County People's Court issued a first-instance verdict, sentencing Fu to 25 years in prison, a fine of 2 million CNY, and the confiscation of over 20 million CNY in illegal gains. The verdict emphasized Fu's prior convictions and the need for severe punishment.

In early June of this year, the Lin Fen City Intermediate People's Court upheld the original verdict.

The process of "record cleansing"

The online criminal verdict stated Fu was actually born in 1964 and had been convicted of theft and assault. He had falsified his age, making himself 8 years younger.

According to Beijing News, Fu's life was far more complex than his public records suggested. He was from Houtang Village in Quding Town, Hongdong County. Coming from a poor family, he started working early and committed his first theft at 17.

Starting in the 1980s, Fu made substantial money through timber trading, factory ownership, gas station operation, and contracting small coal mines and construction projects. Not content with business success, he entered village committee work.

In 1995, as the village security captain, Fu shot a villager in the leg at night, resulting in amputation. He claimed to have spent over 2,000 CNY on the gun and obtained a permit. Despite causing serious injury, he faced no criminal charges at the time.

In 2007, Fu took the civil service exam, using it to transform himself from an off-payroll village official into a formal civil servant.

How did someone with three prior convictions pass multiple background checks? A local official in Hongdong County explained that Fu's identity was "cleansed" with the help of others who illegally changed his age and household registration information. His identification number, tied to his age, was also changed.

"At that time, there was no online connectivity, and record-keeping wasn't standardized, so his criminal record couldn't be found. This effectively erased his past," the official said.

This was confirmed by another insider, who added that the age change occurred long before 2007. "Fu's old household registration was canceled, meaning he had a new one after the age change," they said.

According to the first-instance verdict, after becoming a civil servant in November 2007, Fu's career rapidly advanced. In just over 8 years, he went from a staff member to a department-level official. He exploited his power for personal gain, operating as both an official and a businessman.

Four officials behind the "record cleansing"

When Fu's three prior convictions became public, the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection announced investigations into Wang Liming, former party branch secretary and director of the Mount Wutai Scenic Area Management Committee, and Cai Chaozhao, former deputy director of the Lin Fen City Standing Committee, for suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations. Both were expelled from the party.

Quding Town headquarters, Hongdong County. Photo: Modern Express

Quding Town headquarters, Hongdong County. Photo: Modern Express

The report stated Wang violated organizational principles and was responsible for promoting problematic officials; Cai violated regulations by accepting bribes to facilitate promotions and improperly transferring personnel.

Public information shows Cai served as deputy party secretary and county head of Hongdong from January 1997 to April 2000, and as party secretary of Hongdong from April 2000 to 2006. Wang served as party secretary of Hongdong County from April 2011 to May 2016.

On 11/7, the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on its official website the expulsion and dismissal of two Lin Fen City officials on similar charges.

All four officials under investigation worked in Hongdong County and were involved in Fu's promotions to varying degrees.

Sources within the Hongdong County government indicate Cai and Wang were key figures in enabling Fu's transfer to the city, his official employment, and subsequent promotions.

Tue Anh (according to Jimu News, Modern Express)