Ex-police chief’s son ‘used connections to get licences’ for Tianjin blast warehouse
Report reveals the murky ownership structure at Ruihai
TIANJIN // The son of a former police chief is one of two silent owners of the warehouse for hazardous materials in Tianjin where explosions killed at least 114 people.
He also used his connections to help obtain licences despite safety breaches, Chinese state media reported yesterday.
The other owner is a former executive at a state-owned chemical company who also used his connections to smooth the way for the warehouse to be approved, the official Xinhua news agency said in a lengthy report on the warehouse company Ruihai International Logistics.
The report supports the common perception that well-connected private Chinese companies use personal relations with people in the government to override rules, a practice that can lead to disastrous consequences.
It also shed light on the murky ownership structure at Ruihai, which had been the focus of rampant rumours of potential high-level connections and cover-up since the August 12 blasts, which also left 65 people missing and 674 in hospital.
The report followed an announcement that the head of the government body in charge of industrial safety, Yang Don- gliang, was under investigation for corruption. Mr Yang had previously worked for 18 years in Tianjin in state industry and local government, rising to executive vice mayor. His son has also reportedly been taken in for questioning.
State media reports had featured the senior Yang accompanying premier Li Keqiang on an inspection of the damage on Sunday, suggesting that his fall from grace was sudden and possibly precipitated or hastened by the explosions.
According to media reports, at least 10 people have been taken into custody, including top officials of the warehouse’s management company. The two men named in the Xinhua report, identified as former SinoChem executive Yu Xuewei and the late Tianjin port police chief’s son, Dong Shexuan, are among those detained, authorities said. It was not clear why Mr Yu wanted to camouflage his involvement, but Mr Dong said he wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest, especially because his father was then under investigation for possible corruption.
“The public perception may not be good, given my father’s position with the police,” Mr Dong said. Meanwhile, owners of damaged residences continued their daily protests yesterday , demanding that the government buy back apartments.