Mobile app joins toolbox in anti-corruption effort

More transparent

The CCDI's app is designed to help hunt down "flies"－crooked officials at lower levels. The commission's website also offers space for anyone to report official corruption, including that of "tigers", or senior officials.

The website has become a popular channel for those wanting to blow the whistle on corrupt officials, says the office of the commission that receives complaints and tipoffs.

"Nearly half the tipoffs on corruption have been given through the website," an official in the office said.

By clicking on a red button that says "I want to report", website users are taken to page where they can give details of their allegations. There they can select one of two buttons, either to remain anonymous or to give their name, and then describe a corruption case in no more than 2,000 words.

Accusers who cannot provide the information under those rules are encouraged to send a letter by post or go to the commission offices.

Wang Jiankang, a farmer from Jianxin village in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, recalled his experience of reporting a corruption case on the Web. He filed over an incident in which he said 83 officials in the city spent public money on overseas trips, and he received feedback from the top anti-graft authority.

He said he is happy that the results of the case were made public nationwide and were cited as a warning for officials at all levels.

Cui Shaopeng, a top official at the commission, said every user will be issued a number for his or her case, which can be used to check on the progress of the case online.

The commission will give priority to cases filed under real names, he said, and will process cases and keep users informed about their progress as quickly as possible.

Gao Bo, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the website and the app are particularly effective ways to uncover and eradicate corruption.

"Internet technology provides a quick channel for filing cases and serves as a platform to make the supervision more transparent," Gao said.

Over the years, the commission's work has remained virtually unknown to most people, and news about corruption cases has become public knowledge through media outlets.

The discipline watchdog began publishing news on its own website on Aug 26, 2013, with the announcement of a corrupt official being held for investigation. Wang Yongchun, deputy general manager of the China National Petroleum Corp, was the first.

Wang allegedly violated Party discipline, a term often used to mean corruption.

His case, which was heard on Monday in Xiangyang, Hubei province, involves alleged bribes of 48.6 million yuan ($7.8 million). The notice signaled the start of a sweeping investigation into China's biggest oil exploration company, where more than a dozen senior executives have been brought down.