Long-missing vice-mayor arrested

The vice-mayor of Luoyang, Henan province, has been detained by police and will be transferred to prosecutors amid allegations that he was involved in corruption and abuse of power, provincial authorities said on Tuesday.

Guo Yipin

Guo Yipin, 52, was captured on Monday afternoon in a rented house in Changsha, Hunan province, officials from the Henan provincial government confirmed.

Prosecutors from Henan will take charge of the case, according to the officials.

Guo asked for leave in July, saying he wanted to accompany his mother to the hospital. He then lost contact with the city government, allegedly disappearing with two other people, including a local real estate developer.

Local authorities soon launched a search for him but did not make the incident public until mid-September, when the Beijing News disclosed it.

The newspaper said Guo is suspected of taking 5 million yuan ($815,000) in bribes and had been listed as a fugitive by the police.

Yu Guoqiang, the real estate developer who allegedly fled with Guo, surrendered to police and revealed the whereabouts of the vice-mayor, the report added.

Starting his career in a township government in 1981, Guo spent more than 33 years moving up the ranks in Henan.

In February, he was elected vice-mayor of Luoyang, a city known for its long history and abundant scenic spots. He was in charge of workplace safety, coal mining, environmental protection and transportation.

Guo was leading a team to tackle illegal tricycles in the city and demanded a meeting each day during the campaign. Since late July, he had not been seen or heard from by other leading officials, and the daily meeting he presided over has halted.

Xinhua contributed to this story.