The country's anti-graft watchdog yesterday criticized a local procuratorate for using public funds for personal travel.

A delegation of 10 people from the Anhui Provincial People's Procuratorate was found to have fabricated an invitation from the Justice Ministry of Finland in November 2006.

The delegation was refused entry at Helsinki airport and forced to return to China the following day.

Xu Wenai, head of the delegation and deputy head of the procuratorate, was removed from his post and from his Party post, a circular issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said yesterday.

Ye Bin, a procurator who worked on the details of the visit, was expelled from the Party and sacked for taking bribes. He faces judicial prosecution.

The other members of the delegation received warnings and the procuratorate was ordered to submit a written self-criticism.

The delegation "arbitrarily" changed its route and traveled under the guise of an "inspection visit", it was involved in "fabrication" and "confronting investigation", the circular said.

"It greatly tarnishes the authority of the Party and government departments in the public's mind," it said.

It urged governments at all levels to "draw a lesson" from the case.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, had called on all Party members to be "frugal" and strengthen their "working style" during the CCDI annual working congress last December.

The CCDI launched a campaign this year targeting luxurious government office buildings, which have received much public criticism.

In another development, Duan Yihe, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jinan People's Congress, is on trial for alleged involvement in murder and bribe taking.

Duan is alleged to have hired his nephew-in-law, a Jinan policeman, to plant a car bomb that killed his mistress Liu Haiping on July 9, according to the indictment.

He is also accused of taking bribes totaling 1.69 million yuan (US$223,000). He is also unable to explain additional assets of 1.3 million yuan, sources said.

(China Daily August 8, 2007)