So far more than 7,000 officials have withdrawn their investment
in mines amid a nationwide crackdown.
The Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR)
said yesterday that 2,325 people, either government officials or
company officials in state-owned enterprises, have retracted stakes
in non-coal mines, among whom 707 faced criminal liabilities.
Earlier statistics from the Ministry of Supervision showed that
nearly 5,000 officials have taken their investment out of coal
mines.
Forcing officials to withdraw investment in mines is widely
regarded as an important step to curb frequent mine accidents.
Investigation showed that a large number of accidents occurred
because unlawful and unsafe mines were given the green light to
operate by local governments after officials obtained stakes in the
mines.
(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2006)