Stimulus measures ensnare 3,058 officials in graft investigations

Beijing disclosed mass scale graft on Thursday related to its US$586 billion stimulus plan, reported the Wall Street Journal. Thousands of Chinese government officials were accused of corruption that included taking bribes and embezzling government funds. Hao Mingjin, deputy minister of the Ministry of Supervision, revealed that a cumulative 3,058 Chinese officials received penalties up to life in prison for graft-related offenses. While the stimulus proved instrumental in reviving China’s economy during the recent economic downturn, concerns over corruption and graft were validated after a six-month investigative period that managed to ensnare several mayors. Bribes related to real estate represented a significant portion of the corruption cases.