Official who allegedly threatened boss ousted from Party

A township official in Jiangxi province who allegedly threatened to expose her superior for corruption has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from her post following allegations about her own graft, local anti-graft bodies announced on Sunday.

Li Peixia, the former Party chief of Shangfang township in Shangrao city, faced disciplinary action following an investigation by Wannian county's commissions for discipline inspection and supervision. The investigation revealed that Li, 41, had profited from engineering projects within her jurisdiction, using her official position to benefit others in project contracting and fund disbursement, and unlawfully accepting goods and money in return.

Her illicit gains have been confiscated, and the case has been handed over to the procuratorial authorities for further investigation, according to Shangrao Qingfeng, the official WeChat account of the city's commissions for discipline inspection and supervision.

Li gained national attention after her father posted a video online on July 25, alleging that she had a dispute with her superior, Wannian's Party chief Mao Qi. According to the video, Li had threatened to expose Mao's corruption to the provincial discipline inspection commission. Three days after making the threat, she was detained by the county's discipline inspection commission for investigation.

The day after the video surfaced, the Jiangxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Mao was suspected of seriously violating Party disciplines and national laws. The Shangrao city Party committee's joint investigation team revealed that Mao used his authority to facilitate an inappropriate relationship with Li. Mao voluntarily confessed and is currently being investigated by the provincial disciplinary commission.

Sunday's statement on Shangrao Qingfeng said the investigation into Li began after a report was filed against her in June last year. By April this year, the provincial commission had deemed the complaints against Li to be significant, prompting further verification efforts.

Li was detained on May 26, and her family was informed within 24 hours. On June 17, the city commission announced that Li was suspected of serious disciplinary and legal violations and was undergoing disciplinary review and investigation. Her case was concluded on Friday.

The joint investigation team emphasized that throughout the investigation, both city and county commissions adhered to legal and regulatory principles, ensuring that Li's legal rights were protected. Her physical and mental state were reported to be stable during her detention.

Li has since acknowledged her misdeeds, expressed regret and voluntarily confessed to her disciplinary and legal violations, according to the investigation team.