Former Beijing Zoo director suspected of corruption

A former deputy director of the Beijing Zoo is suspected to have embezzled 14 million yuan ($2.26 million) and a Beijing court accepted the case on Thursday, qianlong.com, a website operated by the Beijing municipal government, reported.

According to a post on the official micro blog account of the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court, Xiao Shaoxiang, a former deputy director of the Beijing Zoo and head of the Beijing Taoranting Park service office, is suspected of corruption, bribery and holding a huge amount of property from unidentified sources.

Beijing No 2 People's Procuratorate, who filed the suit, said Xiao took advantage of his position to pocket money from April 2005 to June 2012.

Xiao paid some companies involved in construction projects at the zoo and park more money than the amount on invoices they issued and then asked those companies to pay him the extra money or give him kickbacks, the procuratorate said.

The procuratorate said Xiao also transferred compensation the zoo or park received from demolition companies to a company account under his control and then embezzled the funds.

Xiao is suspected of embezzling 140 million yuan of public funds, the procuratorate said.

In addition, Xiao could not reveal the source of more than 8 million yuan worth of property he owns.