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China’s Former Rail Minister Charged With Corruption China’s Former Rail Minister Is Charged With Corruption
(about 1 hour later)
HONG KONG — China’s former railways minister, reviled by state news media and many Chinese bloggers after lurid reports alleging high living and a deadly high-speed train crash in the summer of 2011, has been formally charged with corruption and abuse of power, the state-run Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday. HONG KONG — China’s former railways minister, reviled by state-run media and many Chinese bloggers after a deadly high-speed train crash in the summer of 2011 and lurid allegations of high living, has been formally charged with corruption and abuse of power, the state-run Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.
The former minister, Liu Zhijun, had been removed from his position in February 2011, five months before the crash. His dismissal fanned worries that were already emerging then as to whether the quality and safety of the country’s vast high-speed rail program had been compromised by haste and corruption during construction. Xinhua said the Beijing People’s Procuratorate had filed the charges against the railways minister, Liu Zhijun, in a city court. No officials could be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon in telephone calls to the procuratorate, which is a combined investigation and prosecution office, and to the court.
Those worries greatly increased when a bullet train plowed into the back of another train on a viaduct during a lightning storm in Wenzhou in east-central China on July 23, 2011, killing 40 people and injuring 191. A subsequent inquiry found that serious flaws in the design of the signaling system had contributed to a failure to warn the trailing train that another train had been delayed in front of it. Mr. Liu was removed from his position in February 2011, five months before the crash, after reports that he had embezzled $152 million over the years. His dismissal fanned emerging worries that the quality and safety of the country’s vast high-speed rail program had been compromised by haste and corruption during construction.
The crash fed increasingly heated commentary about Mr. Liu’s lifestyle before his removal from office, despite government efforts to limit the discussion. A leaked directive from the Central Propaganda Department ordered that, “All media are not to report or hype the news that Liu Zhijun had 18 mistresses.” Those worries greatly increased when a high-speed train plowed into the back of another train on a viaduct during a lightning storm in Wenzhou, in east-central China, on July 23, 2011, killing 40 and injuring 191. A subsequent inquiry found that serious flaws in the design of the signaling system had contributed to a failure to warn the trailing train that another train had been delayed in front of it.
Xinhua said that the Second Branch of the Beijing People’s Procuratorate had filed the charges against Mr. Liu at the capital’s No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court. No officials could be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon in telephone calls to the procuratorate, which is a combination of an investigation office and a prosecution office, and to the court. The crash fed increasingly heated commentary about Mr. Liu’s lifestyle before his removal from office, despite government efforts to limit the discussion. A leaked directive from the Central Propaganda Bureau ordered all media “not to report or hype the news that Liu Zhijun had 18 mistresses.”
Mr. Liu has been in detention for many months and was not reachable for comment on Wednesday. Members of the Chinese Communist Party who are accused of crimes face a sometimes harsh detention with few legal protections. Mr. Liu has been in detention for many months and could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Members of the Chinese Communist Party who are accused of crimes sometimes face a harsh detention with few legal protections.
The Wenzhou crash triggered a lengthy national debate in China over the wisdom of the country’s heavy investment in high-speed rail. With the first line opening shortly before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the country has produced a national network with 5,814 miles of track in service by the end of last year.The Wenzhou crash triggered a lengthy national debate in China over the wisdom of the country’s heavy investment in high-speed rail. With the first line opening shortly before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the country has produced a national network with 5,814 miles of track in service by the end of last year.
But rapid expansion left the Railway Ministry saddled with debts of nearly 4 trillion renminbi, or $645 billion. The National People’s Congress took steps last month to dismantle the ministry, which previously had a broad range of administrative and even police functions in addition to operating trains. But rapid expansion left the Ministry of Railways saddled with debts of nearly $645 billion. The National People’s Congress took steps last month to dismantle the ministry, which previously had a broad range of administrative and even police functions in addition to operating trains.
A spate of recent intercity bus crashes has included at least two with roughly the same number of deaths as the train crash nearly two years ago, but the bus crashes have drawn far less attention. With poorly designed roads, numerous pedestrians and many new drivers, China has a death rate per million registered automobiles that is 6 to 20 times as high as in the United States. A recent spate of intercity bus crashes includes at least two with roughly the same number of deaths as the train crash nearly two years ago, but the bus crashes have drawn far less attention. With poorly designed roads, numerous pedestrians and many new drivers, China has a death rate per million registered automobiles that is 6 to 20 times as high as in the United States.