Jin Huayong, who allegedly kicked and punched Li, had no record of violence in the prison. "We will turn him over to the procuratorate after Li's autopsy report is done," said Yan.

The committee members visited cell number 9 room, which Li Qiaoming had occupied, at about 1 p.m. and studied documents on his personal details and behavior in the prison and his death certificate.

They held a news briefing at 2:40 p.m. at Sanhe Grand Hotel to discuss their findings.

"We're satisfied with the police attitude towards our investigation," said Fengzhimoduan.

"I am not a professional investigator. It's hard for us to discover the truth. But we're doing our best to establish the truth today," he said.

"The Internet magnified the incident," he added.

The Yunnan Provincial Publicity Department posted a notice on major Yunnan-based websites Thursday afternoon, seeking people to join in the investigation. About 510 people called or applied online.

"It's the first time in Yunnan, and even in China, for netizens to participate in an official investigation like this," said Gong Gei, a provincial publicity department official.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2009)