Official sacked over lavish wedding for his son

An official in Beijing has been removed from office after he held a luxurious wedding for his son, Beijing Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

Ma Linxiang, deputy director of the Qingheying village committee in the capital's Chaoyang district, was dismissed from his post after holding his son's wedding in an international conference center, said the report. The official took three days during the National Day holiday to arrange and enjoy the celebration.

The cost of the wedding was estimated at about 1.6 million yuan ($261,400) and Ma also invited various celebrities, according to the newspaper report.

China's leadership stressed earlier this year that officials at every level should be thrifty in personal expenditure, avoiding waste of any kind. The local disciplinary authority has ruled that Ma's actions break these instructions and might lead to public discontent, said the report.

So far, the authority said there is no evidence that Ma used public funds for the wedding, but investigations are ongoing.