A man who exposed the corruption of the former drug chief was declared innocent and received 24,000 yuan (US$3,175) compensation after being detained for 10 months, Legal Daily reported today.

Zhang Zhijian, a researcher of a Hainan medicine company, copied and pasted a post on Websites in March 2006 which exposed the illegal relationship between Zhejiang Kangliyuan Investment Group, former drug-chief Zheng Xiaoyu and former senior drug official Cao Wenzhuang.

Kangliyuan later reported to Haikou police, alleging that Zhang's behavior hurt the company's reputation.

Zhang was detained from April 26, 2006 to February 6, 2007, when the local prosecutor's office withdrew the accusation after finding new evidence and released him on bail. On April 12, Haikou police dismissed the case, the report said.

Zheng, former director of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was executed on July 10 for taking 6.49 million yuan in bribes and dereliction of duty.

Zheng sought benefits for eight pharmaceutical companies, including Kangliyuan, by approving their drugs and medical devices during his tenure from June 1997 to December 2006.

Cao, former head of the drug registration department of the administration, was handed a suspended death sentence by the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court earlier this month.

(Shanghai Daily July 23, 2007)