Zhang Qi, a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is facing serious allegations related to corruption. 13.5 tonnes of gold bars were found.
About 13,500 kgs of gold bars worth S$884.8 million according to the international trading prices were hidden in the basement of Zhang Qi’s official’s house at the Chinese province of Hainan in Danzhou city.
If the allegations found to be true, then he will overtake the Chinese richest person, Jack Ma. Jack Ma’s wealth is declared as US$37.5 billion (S$51.7 billion). According to the Chinese media, a video in which the investigating officials counting the gold bars was posted.
Here is the video posted on Twitter –
某个人民的仆人落马了!儋州市原市长，三亚市原市委书记，海口市原市委书记张琦（安徽人，中共党员现年57岁）九月六日落马。其住宅内起获黄砖金条金砖数量惊人，现金13.5吨。另查获帐面来路不明资金2680亿，多套千余平方的豪宅……。又一次刷新了记录，令吾辈叹为观止，贫穷再一次限制了我们的想象力！ pic.twitter.com/6hcgKsaFwE
— 猪血旗下 (@h1300062810) September 24, 2019
Apart from this, the officials also found RMB268 billion (S$51.7 billion) worth amount in his bank accounts which is suspected to be the earnings as bribes.
About Zhang Qi, After joining the CCP in 1983 he was the secretary of the CCP Committee of Haikou and also a member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan province. He is the 4th senior official of provincial-level standing committees of the CCP. He served as the deputy mayor of Sanya city, mayor of Danzhou and the mayor of Haikou. Both the cities – Danzhou and Haikou are located in Hainan province.
Also, read: China’s strongest leader in decades – President Xi Jinping
Chinese president Xi Jinping and his government have started efforts to catch high-ranking officials and junior bureaucrats who are corrupt.
on Sep 6th, 2019, one of the highest internal control institutions for the party official stated that if Zhang was found suspected of violating the law, then he is definitely under the investigation authority’s scanner. As per one of the official’s statements, if Zhang is found to have committed the economic crime he even may be sentenced to death.