Political advisor dismissed over ivory trading

HANGZHOU - A political advisor from East China's Zhejiang province has been dismissed from her post on suspicion of involvement in ivory trading.

Shao Yanfang, a member of Zhejiang's regional committee of Chinese People' s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has been disqualified as a political advisor. The decision was made at a meeting of Zhejiang CPPCC.

Shao, board chairwoman of Jinhua Zhengpeng Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., was found to have hoarded 22 elephant tusks at her home in Jinhua City at the end of last year. She was arrested on Dec. 27. Further investigation showed that Shao had in recent years purchased a total of 36 tusks from two brothers surnamed Wang. The whereabouts of the other 14 tusks are unknown.

Her case has been forwarded to the procuratorate of the city of Yongkang.

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