Cash stockpile found in home of coal director  

能源局煤炭司副司长家中搜出亿元 网友测重1吨

Piles of cash have been found at the home of a deputy director of a coal division at the National Energy Administration (NEA), who was detained for investigation, news portal caixin.com reported Thursday.

Caixin claimed that more than 100 million yuan ($16.1 million) in cash was discovered at Wei Pengyuan's home in Beijing, so much so that four out of 16 counting machines borrowed from a local bank burned out due to overwork.

Wei's detention came one month after his peer at the nuclear division Hao Weiping was detained in mid-April.

It is not yet confirmed what crime Wei has committed. A report by the 21st Century Business Herald said he was taken by prosecutors, and may have been involved in the Shenhua Group scandal.

Documents revealed by a whistleblower said that some coal merchants bribed the sales company under the Shenhua Group and a third-party inspection body for cheaper coal.

An industry insider told Caixin that Wei was in charge of a reconstruction project as well as approval and preparation of coal mining infrastructure. Problems may have occurred when Wei was carrying out these duties, the insider said.

Wei became the deputy director of the coal division at the NEA in 2008 when the administration was established. Before that, Wei worked as the director of the coal department at the National Development and Reform Commission.

Wei also advocated the joint operation of coal and electricity. He openly declared in September 2011 that this would be a long-term policy, and related projects would receive "special favor" when their application is being reviewed.

On April 15, the director of the nuclear division at the NEA, Hao Weiping and his wife, were caught and detained by police.