A Chinese official who published charges of government corruption on the Internet is to be charged with embezzlement, a Communist Party official said.
The Communist Party chief of Lianjiang county in Fujian province, Huang Jingao, became a media hero after publishing his efforts to fight corruption in the online edition of the official People's Daily last August. He claimed he had received death threats for his efforts.
Provincial Party Secretary Lu Zhangong said Tuesday that Huang would be prosecuted, the South China Morning Post reported. Lu was speaking in Beijing, where he is attending the National People's Congress.
"We have already finished the probe. We will release details to the public when the case enters formal judicial procedures," Lu said.
Huang, a former farmer, was detained in December after the government leaked reports that he had received bribes and kept mistresses. His supporters have said the charges are an act of revenge after he revealed corruption among party officials.
Lu described the evidence of Huang's crimes as "pretty obvious" and said the media had been one-sided in covering only Huang's side of the story.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
