Two policemen detained over forged household registrations

TAIYUAN  - Two police officers in North China's Shanxi province have been detained for allegedly helping a woman obtain fake household registration certificates, local authorities said Wednesday.

Officers Li Youbing and Bai Wenkui are suspected of violating household registration management laws and aiding Gong Ai'ai, a woman from Northwest China's Shaanxi province who is believed to have four household registration certificates, a statement from the provincial procuratorate said.

Gong, the former deputy head of a bank in Shaanxi's Shenmu county, allegedly owns over 20 properties worth an estimated 1 billion yuan ($159 million), according to accusations lodged by online whistleblowers earlier this month.

She allegedly obtained the properties using fake identification naming her as both Gong Ai'ai and Gong Xianxia.

Household registration certificates are strictly managed in China, as they are necessary to secure public education and medical care, as well as to restrict property purchases.

The Ministry of Public Security vowed last Thursday to swiftly investigate Gong's case.

The ministry said it has set up a special team to supervise the investigation, promising a thorough probe and serious punishment for those who are found to have violated the law.

The ministry also called for streamlining the household registration system, as well as the way identification is issued, in order to prevent future offenses.