Official's lavish lifestyle is under investigation

By Li Xinran  |   2008-12-24  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

AN official in charge of housing management in Jiangsu Province is being investigated because his luxury lifestyle attracted the attention of Netizens.

Zhou Jiugeng, director of the housing management department of the provincial capital Nanjing's Jiangning District, was photographed wearing a Vacheron Constantin watch and enjoying an expensive brand of cigarettes soon after he said real estate developers should be punished for selling apartments below cost, which sparked heated debate among the public as they had been complaining about soaring house prices.

The watch would have cost at least 100,000 yuan (US$14,500) in China, while each carton of the Nanjing 95 Imperial cigarettes sells for 1,800 yuan.

Zhou, 48, was also found to drive a Cadillac to work.

Photos of him wearing the luxury watch were posted on most China's major Web portals and were widely discussed among Netizens.

Some Netizens, wondering how a public servant could afford such an expensive lifestyle, filed complaints with related government departments.

Zhou would be strictly punished if he violated laws and regulations, the municipal commission for discipline inspection said in a report yesterday on the Website of Yangtse.com.

Jiangning's district officials said in a statement published on a government Website over the weekend that they had already taken action to investigate Zhou's financial assets.

Companies producing high-end cigarettes have also been criticized by the online community, which said such cigarettes are just another "tool for bribery."

Media reports also revealed Zhou's son was engaged in the housing-material business. There are suspicions of illegal dealings between father and son. However, no evidence has been released so far.