Audit office confirms died controller attended receptions
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-08-24 09:10
BEIJING -- China's National Audit Office confirmed Wednesday controller Zhang
Hongtao, who reportedly died from excessive drinking, and the auditing team he
worked with attended feasts hosted by an electricity bureau they were auditing
many times.
A notice issued on the official website of the office also said the team,
which was assigned to audit a power grid construction and transformation project
of Yanshan County Electricity Bureau in north China's Hebei province between
March and April, also participated in travel activities organized by the bureau.
"The incident has caused negative influence over the image of audit offices
and auditors," said the notice.
It said the incident "sounded an alarm" to audit offices and auditors. All
audit offices must draw a lesson from the incident and strengthen disciplines.
China's audit offices, championed by Li Jinhua, have earned good reputation
for their exposure of a number of major corruption cases in recent years.
Media reports said 25-year-old auditor Zhang Hongtao, who worked with the
Yanshan County Audit Office, died suddenly in front of a restaurant after
attending a banquet given by Yanshan County Electricity Bureau he was auditing.
The reports said Zhang and other members of the auditing team had repeatedly
attended feasts of the Yanshan County Electricity Bureau.
A newspaper commentary said the public has placed high hope on audit offices.
If the incident is not treated properly, it will impair public trust in audit
offices.
"Auditors who violate the disciplines must be severely punished," said the
notice issued by the National Audit Office.
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