Ling Baoheng, a senior official in Shanghai, has been dismissed from his posts in the city's legislative body, the standing committee of the municipal people's congress said Wednesday.

Ling, director of Shanghai's State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, was dismissed for "seriously violating disciplines", said the committee in a report.

The committee gave no further details but back in October of last year, a local government press officer told reporters that Ling was "assisting the investigation into the social security fund scandal in the city".

The central government has sent investigators to trace 3.2 billion yuan (US$407.6 million) that was siphoned off the Shanghai pension fund for illicit loans and investments. Dozens of city officials and business people, including Chen Liangyu, secretary of CPC's Shanghai Municipal Committee, have been sacked and placed under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2007)