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Download The number of investigations on major bribery cases involving high-ranking officials has soared in Guangdong province, according to the Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate. Last year, 1,461 people were investigated for bribery in 1,371 cases, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year, said Chen Weixiong, deputy director of the anti-corruption body under the province's top prosecuting department. Of those investigated, 159 officials were classified as senior. These included 31 holding positions above the level of bureau chief, an annual increase of 80 percent. The 31 high-ranking officials were found guilty of accepting bribes worth up to 10 million yuan ($1.61 million). "They abused their position to help enterprises that offered bribes for land zoning, development and construction." Cases involving more than one individual, where officials acted in unison to accept bribes, also registered a rise, he said. Most corruption cases involved people holding positions of trust and authority or working at State-owned enterprises. "They were in collusion with illegal business operators to trade money for power at the expense of the public interest," Chen said. One typical case occurred early last year, when Liu Xiaojin, former director of the Guangzhou Huangpu district Food and Drug Administration in Guangdong, was charged with accepting bribes. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison by the Guangzhou Luogang District People's Court. | 
