Tourists visit the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 22, 2019.Photo:Xinhua
Some US media reports that a former official in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region had been imprisoned for being "two-faced person" are "fabricated", as the man was convicted of bribery and abuse of power to seek profits from others, spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government told a press conference on Monday.
Recently, the daughter of the former director general of the Xinjiang Forestry Department, Memet Abdula, told the Voice of America that her father was wrongfully imprisoned for being a "two-faced person" - someone who appears to support ethnic unity but is actually trying to split the country and overthrow the government.
"Her accusation was completely fabricated and aimed at misleading international opinion, to solicit support for her father and attack China's policies on Xinjiang," Eljan Anayt, spokesperson of the Xinjiang regional government, told a press conference on Monday.
Eljan explained that in April 2017, the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee filed a case against Memet Abdula on suspicion of taking bribes.
During Memet's tenure as chief of the Xinjiang Forestry Department, he traded power for money in personnel selection and appointments, broke the Party's rules by illegally accepting money and gifts. Memet Abdula was suspected of crimes involving bribery and abuse of power to seek profits from others. His case was then transferred to the judicial authorities for further investigation.
After two trials, Memet Abudla was sentenced for the crime of bribery. His criminal sentence was based on clear facts and solid evidence in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, according to the spokesperson.
His daughter's allegation that he was framed was just an attempt to confuse truth and falsehood. Corruption is a tumor to social development and is detested by people. Anyone who violates the rules, regardless of his or her ethnicity, will surely be brought to justice, the spokesperson said.