Police officer suspended for 'owning 192 houses'

A senior police officer has been suspended after media reports said he owns 192 houses in Guangdong province.

The Party anti-graft body in Lufeng has launched an investigation into Zhao Haibin, a member of the Communist Party of China committee of Lufeng city public security bureau and deputy Party chief of Lufeng's Xieshi township.

The provincial public security department has sent a special task force to Lufeng, which is under the administration of Shanwei city in eastern Guangdong, to help with the investigation.

Zhao was reported to have 192 houses under the name of his company and his own name in the cities of Shanwei, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Huizhou and to have a fake business card of tycoon Huang Kunyi, a member of the local committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Zhao and Huang have been involved in disputes over property trading in recent years.

Zhao has been dubbed as "grandpa houses" by local people and Internet users after media reports of his case appeared.

Lufeng police confirmed that Zhao has two identity cards and used the fake card to do business and buy properties.

The fake card has been withdrawn by Zhuhai city bureau of public security.

Zhao on Tuesday denied owning the houses, saying most of them are owned by a company run by his younger brother.