Anti-corruption watchdog investigates death of Henan official

China's top anti-corruption watchdog on Tuesday published a case where ten officials from Henan province attended a banquet that was against disciplinary requirements and one of them died after consuming alcohol.

The watchdog adheres to a zero-tolerance policy while handling such cases, which will be investigated immediately and never be tolerated, it said in a statement.

In the case published by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Li Xianlin, a senior Party official of Luoshan county, Xianyang city, attended a banquet held by nine other officials on March 22. Li and four people drank five bottles of white liquor, which later lead to the death of one person.

Yu Guofang, Party chief of Luoshan, then decided not to report what really happened to a higher authority in an attempt to cover up the consumption of alcohol, which constituted a disciplinary violation.

To bury the case, Li and five others also decided to offer cash compensation to the relatives of the deceased.

The incident occurred during the in-depth study and education of the eight-point regulation on improving Party conduct and the officials were gathered there to attend meetings to enforce such education. It's a typical case of ignoring discipline, violating rules in defiance of authority, with an extremely serious nature and an extremely negative impact, so it must be strictly dealt with, the statement said. All officials who were held responsible for the incident are given disciplinary punishments, CCDI said.

It added that the improper banquet held by Li has resulted in serious consequences, which are entirely self-inflicted. The case also reflects that some cadres lack a clear understanding of the Party's firm determination and will to promote comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, it said.