Chinese anti-graft official probed over properties

HARBIN - Discipline authorities are investigating an anti-graft official in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province over suspicions as to the legality of the many homes he owns, sources said late on Monday.

Zhang Xiuting, a political commissar of the anti-corruption department in Xi'an District People's Procuratorate in Mudanjiang City, has left his post, publicity authorities of Mudanjiang told Xinhua.

The discipline inspection authorities of Mudanjiang and the city's procurators are looking into how he and former wife Wang Hongjun have managed to amass 19 houses.

If violations are confirmed, authorities will deal seriously with the case, according to investigators.

Zhang and Wang got divorced in 1998.

Five of the houses are registered under Zhang's name. They include four which Zhang inherited from his mother. His former wife owns 14 houses.

Zhang joins a growing list of officials who have been investigated on the grounds of possible corruption recently after their cases were initially exposed on the Internet by whistle-blowers. Several have been fired from their posts.