Enormous amount of cash found in official's home

Want China Times, Wu Kuan-chin and Staff Reporter 2014-11-15

A comic shows gold and cash found at an official's house. (Photo/CFP)

A state-owned water company manager has been dubbed one of the most corrupt officials in China, after more than 100 million Chinese yuan (US$16.31 million) in cash and 37kg of gold were found in his home.

Ma Chaoqun, who was the general manager of the water company in the seaside resort town of Beidaihe in Hebei province, was taken away by disciplinary officials in February for alleged corruption charges.

According to recent Chinese media reports, investigators found 120 million yuan (US$19.56 million) in cash, 37kg of gold and the deeds to 68 houses during a search of Ma's home. The total value of these assets is estimated at 300 million yuan (US$49 million).

Ma and his younger brother, also detained for questioning, worked in the water management authorities of Qinhuangdao, which administers Beidaihe, for several years.

While Ma is only a township chief-level official, a position which a junior civil servant takes three to six years to reach, his post in a state-owned monopoly usually offers lucrative opportunities for illegal gains.

Ma is not the only official found to hide large amounts of cash at home. Investigators recently uncovered 200 million yuan (US$32.60 million) in cash in the home of Wei Pengyuan, the deputy head of the coal department at the National Energy Administration.

The cash in Wei's home weighs more than 1 metric ton as the largest denomination of bank notes in China is 100 yuan (US$16.31).