Li Jinzhu, vice governor of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, told the Xinhua News Agency that he never tried to defend Yang Dacai, who was sacked as head of the Shaanxi Administration of Work Safety for serious violations of discipline on September 21.
The vice governor was responding to a torrent of rebukes after postings on Sina Weibo suggested Li defended Yang during an address to the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC.
The Xi'an-based news portal cnwest.com reported Tuesday that Li is neither a member of the Shaanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, nor a member of the standing committee.
Yang was pilloried for weeks on Weibo after he was photographed smiling at the scene of a bus accident that killed 36 people in Yan'an of province on August 26.
Netizens then posted a series of photos showing him wearing ultra-expensive wristwatches, eyeglasses and belts suggesting he could have only afforded them if he were corrupt.
The public questioning pushed the provincial authorities on August 30 to promise an investigation.
The commission said it is investigating Yang to determine the exact nature of his infractions.
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