An official in south China's Guangdong Province was sacked
recently for holding an extravagant funeral for his mother, the
Guangdong provincial discipline watchdog has announced.
Xie Pingfa, former director of the highway bureau of Lufeng City
of Guangdong Province, held the funeral for his mother on Nov. 17.
He organized more than 1,000 people, including eight officials and
workers in his bureau, for memorial service and funeral
procession.
After the ceremony, Xie hosted 100-table banquets at two venues,
treating guests for the funeral.
The extravagant funeral caused a stir among local residents, and
the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection of
the Communist Party of China (CPC) investigated the case.
Based on investigation, the Commission decided to strip Xie of
his post because the case had caused "a bad social influence",
according to a report released by the Commission.
(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2008)