13 ton gold, Rs5,833b recovered from ex-Chinese mayor

DANZHOU, Hainan: Chinese police have found a huge fortune in the basement of the home of former mayor of Danzhou, including 13 tons of gold.

The search was ordered by the National Supervisory Commission.

In the secret cellar of former mayor Zhang Qi’s home was no less than 13 tons of gold, in the form of bullion, the equivalent of several hundred million US dollars, reports the international media. The authorities also seized a huge amount of cash in various currencies (dollars, euros and yuan), totaling 268 billion yuan, or 34 billion euros Rs5,833 billion).

In addition, the man owns luxurious houses with a total area of several thousand square meters. The contents of the basement, although priceless, could have saved Greece twice from its default, according to expert estimates.

Since his appointment as President in 2013, Xi Jinping has made the fight against corruption a priority. No less than 254 senior officials accused of corruption were dismissed during their two terms.