Chinese authorities have strengthened their anti-corruption campaign by giving greater protection and cash rewards to people who provide information on corruption cases.
Zhang Hua (pseudonym) from Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province received a top reward of 50,000 yuan ($7,300) from the city's commission for discipline inspection after he provided information on a bribery case, People's Daily reported on Tuesday.
It was the first top reward Foshan gave after Guangdong authorities issued a document in 2013 to offer from 1,000 to 50,000 yuan to informers of misconduct, depending on the strength of the information provided and cooperation of informers during investigations.
Zhang sent a letter to the commission for discipline inspection, informing them that Tang Jun (pseudonym), a local village official, allegedly received bribes and harmed the villagers' interests.
With Zhang's assistance and the information he provided, authorities confirmed that Tang was involved in corruption and neglected his duty, illegally gaining millions of yuan in the process, according to the report.
To encourage more people to provide information, Foshan has taken measures to ensure the informers' safety, keep informers' information confidential, and punish anyone who leaks the information.
Foshan received 1,903 tips in the first six months of the year, with 526 whistleblowers providing their true identity. More than half of the tips involved corruption in villages, People's Daily reported.
