anti-graft Photo: VCG

As one of the four typical cases released by the discipline inspection and supervision organs in Central China's Hubei Province, a local former official appointed staff based on superstitious activities, and has been expelled from the Party for multiple offenses, according to China's top anti-graft body on Monday. 

Hubei reported four discipline enforcement cases, aiming to further strengthen political supervision, reminding officials at  all levels to raise the awareness to strictly obey political discipline and rules.

Among the four cases, Qin Jun, former director of the Hubei provincial commerce department was engaged in superstitious activities violating Party rules. From 2008 to 2011, Qin invited "feng shui consultants" twice to his father's grave in order to "eliminate diseases, disasters and keep his official status." In the second half of 2014, Qin again invited "feng shui consultants" conducting superstitious activities, according to the official website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on Monday.

In May 2015, when he was mayor of the city of Xiangyang, Qin believed that the zodiac signs were pointing to "mutually promotion and restraint", and he went to a temple to seek relevant information and appointed his staff accordingly.

Qin has been expelled from the CPC and removed from his post over serious violations of Party discipline and law. His case has been handed over to the procuratorate for further investigation and prosecution.

Along with the case of Qin, the discipline inspection and supervision organs also reported other three cases including former official from the city of Yichang Zhao Jixiong. 

From 2016 to 2020, Zhao, then Party chief of Changyang county, connived at and supported a company that illegally dug up mountains, destroying the ecological environment and obtaining  illegal gains from the company owner.

From 2017 to 2022, Chen Yiguo, former chairman of Hubei Changjiang Publishing and Media Group  expanded the investment scale, deviated from the major cultural industries, and carried out large-scale trade in automobiles, steel, tea financing trade, real estate and other non-main business investment without the approval of the relevant provincial supervision and management organs, in order to drive short term performance.

Zhao Dongfeng, former director from Hubei provincial rural supply and marketing cooperatives accepted illegal money and property, causing a serious negative impact.

China's top anti-graft bodies have been engaged in a crackdown on illegal activities. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, has stressed the need for efforts to advance the high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work during an inspection tour of Hubei Province in March.