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One more arrested over high-rise collapse in Shanghai

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-19 12:04

The former assistant head of Meilong township in Shanghai has been arrested on charges of corruption, becoming the eighth to be arrested for the collapse of an apartment building in June, the Shanghai Procuratorate said Tuesday.

Before the arrest of Que Jingde, seven others had been arrested on charges of causing major accident, including Zhang Zhiqin, general manager of the developer Meidu Real Estate Company; Zhang Yaojie, boss of the contracted Zongxin construction company as well as the project's chief construction supervisor Qiao Lei.

Investigation showed that the builders, rushing to finish the project, were digging the basement and piling soil beside the building, which caused an imbalance and brought the nearly-completed 13-story building down. One construction worker was killed on the spot.

Related readings:  7 arrested over building collapse in Shanghai  13 charged in Shanghai building collapse  Fatal collapse rings alarm bells for developers  Building collapse kills one worker in Shanghai

The Shanghai Procuratorate did not reveal details of the corruption charge against Que.

Que is also the second largest shareholder of the Meidu Real Estate Company.

He was appointed by Meilong township's Party chief Cai Jianzhong as assistant head. The appointment, however, was invalid because he was not a civil servant and the Party chief did not report the promotion to higher authorities for approval, investigation showed.

Cai has been suspended from his post and is being investigated for the appointment.