ANOTHER Shanghai official, the top manager of State assets in the city, has joined more than 50 people detained in Shanghai’s snowballing pension corruption scandal.

Authorities took the chairman of Shanghai’s State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Ling Baoheng, from his home late Sunday and people working under him were informed of the situation yesterday. Also held was one of Ling’s deputies, Wu Hongmei.

The Central Government has sent more than 100 anti-corruption investigators to Shanghai to investigate money reportedly siphoned off from the city’s 10 billion yuan (US$1.25 billion) social security fund for illicit loans and investments.

Hong Kong newspapers said more than 50 businessmen and government officials had been taken into custody since the scandal erupted several months ago.

Shanghai Party chief Chen Liangyu was implicated and dismissed late last month. Chen was the first member of the Party’s 24-strong, decision-making Politburo to lose his seat since 1995, when Beijing Party chief Chen Xitong was jailed.

As head of Shanghai’s State assets commission, Ling oversaw the running of some of China’s biggest firms worth billions of dollars. One was Shanghai Electric Group, China’s largest power gear maker, several officials of which have been implicated in the scandal.

At least one top Shanghai Party official has been barred from traveling overseas while another has been transferred from his post over the scandal, sources said.

Ling has served in the post since April 2004 and is also the commission’s deputy Party secretary.

Previously, he was vice chairman of the Shanghai Light Industry Group and a vice chairman of the Shanghai Economic Commission, media reports said.

He advised on the restructuring of several Shanghai State-owned companies, including telecommunications equipment maker Shanghai Electric Group.

(SD-Xinhua)