China’s ‘naked officials’ to be subjected to more scrutiny

NEW DELHI - A senior discipline official in China has revealed that “naked officials”, the name given to public servants whose wives have taken residence abroad and who are suspected to be more prone to corruption, will soon be subjected to more scrutiny.

Zhang Xiaoying, head of the Party discipline inspection commission of the Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate, said a campaign to “monitor and correct officials’ conduct” will soon be carried out, China Daily reported.

Naked officials are believed to have a greater tendency toward corruption because the presence of their spouses overseas makes it convenient for them to funnel bribe money and other ill-gotten gains out of the reach of local authorities.

If caught in their misdeeds, such officials also have an easy means of escape: they simply take up residence with their spouses abroad.

Zhang said the measures will also be part of an attempt at preventing prosecutors’ spouses or children from running commercial businesses or receiving dividends from stock in private companies.

The procuratorate also said its officials, especially senior prosecutors, should not accept gifts from their subordinates, or gifts and other favours that may interfere with the just enforcement of the law.

“We have to be more aggressive and active in managing naked officials,” Zhao said.

Zhao said the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China directed the procuratorate and other related authorities to participate in the campaign. (ANI)