Spot corruption, send a text

The public is being encouraged to send inspectors text messages to report corruption among civil servants.

The CPC Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection has sent inspection teams to 13 central government ministries, agencies and companies, aiming to uncover official misconduct.

"Apart from publicizing a phone number and an e-mail address, we have released a special mobile phone number to receive the public's reports via short messages in three pilot administrations," the top anti-graft authority said.

Chen Gang, a law professor at Renmin University of China, said the measure is regarded "as an innovative anti-graft working mechanism that will encourage the public to report more valuable clues about corruption".

"During the monthlong inspection, we have a clear goal and the inspectors will focus on investigating important people and issues," Wang Qishan, secretary of the central disciplinary inspection commission, said at a meeting to deploy the inspectors in the third round of inspection work this year.

Included in the inspections are the ministries of culture and environmental protection, China Southern Airlines, China State Shipbuilding Corp, China Unicom, Sinopec, the All-China Federation of Industry & Commerce and China Radio International.

Inspectors will look for corruption in fund management, asset disposal, engineering projects, accepting money to illegally approve projects, and improper selection and promotion, according to the anti-graft authority.

The nation has more than 1 billion registered cellphone users, and most of the tips about corruption came to inspectors from the public.

Since November 2012, the central inspection teams have conducted four rounds of inspections in 31 provinces and regions, six central enterprises and two public institutions. They plan to inspect 280 regions and work units within five years.

zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn