Government official fired, all because of a smile…

From Weibo and other sources:

The “8·26” serious traffic accident in Yan’an, Shaanxi caused 36 deaths and 3 injuries. A picture of Yang Dacai, chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety, smiling on the spot triggered heated discussion. Some netizens utilized “human flesh search engine” and uploaded more pictures of Yang online. Many a netizens claimed that he wore luxury watches like Rolex, TAG Heuer and Rado. Yang Dacai was caught in a wave of questioning.

On Aug 29th, Yang Dacai received micro-interview and apologized to the relatives of victims, saying that he smiled in order to make the staffs to relax, and without notice his facial expression might look a bit too relaxed. He also said he had bought five watches over the past over 10 years, with his legal income, and had reported to Bureau of Discipline Inspection & Supervision. Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee said on 30th that the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee would conduct investigation and would be seriously dealt with according to respective regulations, should any violation of disciplines or corruption issue be found.

Yang Dacai responded on Weibo:

When we came to the accident scene, we felt very sorrow and sad. The accident was so serious that the atmosphere was very depressing. Some frontline comrades looked very nervous when they reported to me. And some comrades had so strong accent that I could not hear clearly. I asked them to relax a bit, and I might have looked a bit too relax without noticing it. I feel very guilty now looking back.

I would like to make a statement regarding my watches. In the past over 10 years, I did buy five watches. They were purchased at different times with my own legal income. I have reported to Bureau of Discipline Inspection & Supervision about this issue.

Photos of “Chief Smile” from nddaily:

The issues that Yang Dacai, Secretary of Party General Branch and Chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety, smiled inappropriately on the spot of the “8.26” serious traffic accident and wore many luxury watches drew high attention from Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, which conducted careful investigation.

Investigation showed that Yang Dacai committed serious violation of disciplines. And according to respective discipline regulations, after discussion among Standing Committee of Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, it was approved by Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, to terminate Yang Dacai from his role of Member of the 12th Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee, and Secretary of Party General Branch and Chief of Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety.

Shaanxi Discipline Inspection Committee will make further investigation regarding other clues of Yang’s violation of disciplines revealed in the previous investigation.

China News says “the ‘Chief Smile’ being fired is a lucky hit. This is yet another classic case of Internet anti-corruption since netizens’ “human flesh searched” Nanjing Jiangning District Real Estate department former director Zhou Jiugeng. However, many Netizens were not as excited as before. The victory of the Internet anti-corruption is more like throwing bricks over the wall, whoever gets hit is unlick. In other words, it is not the inevitable result of anti-corruption institutionalized, but netizens’ lucky hit. If Yang did not smile, if the picture is not spread on microblogs, if the photos of him wearing expensive watches were not found and made noticed on the Internet, this problem official is probably still safely hiding in the bureaucracy.