A former Haikou mayor in China has been sentenced to death for massive corruption involving bribes linked to land and government contracts. Viral posts claim investigators found tons of gold and cash, though exact figures remain unconfirmed.
A corruption case involving a former top city official in China has gone viral worldwide after shocking claims about huge amounts of illegal wealth surfaced online. The case centres on the former mayor and senior party official of Haikou, the capital of Hainan province, who has been sentenced to death for corruption by a Chinese court.
Videos and photos shared widely on social media show piles of gold bars and stacks of cash, with users claiming that investigators found 'tons of gold' and 'tons of cash' during the probe. The images have triggered global debate, outrage and disbelief, even as experts urge caution over unverified figures circulating online.
What the court officially confirmed
Chinese state media and court records confirmed that the former Haikou mayor was convicted of bribery, abuse of power and embezzlement of public funds. The court ruled that he had used his position over many years to illegally enrich himself.
According to investigators, he accepted bribes in return for granting government contracts, approving land deals and providing favours to businesses and developers. The corruption reportedly took place between 2009 and 2019, a period when large construction and land projects were underway.
The court sentenced him to death, a punishment often given in extremely serious corruption cases in China. In many such cases, the sentence may later be commuted to life imprisonment, depending on behaviour and cooperation, though authorities have not publicly clarified this detail in this case.
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Social media posts, including one shared by international news aggregator NEXTA, claimed that investigators discovered 13.5 tons of gold and 23 tons of cash inside properties linked to the former official. The same posts said he also owned luxury real estate in China and overseas, along with a collection of expensive cars.
Illegal wealth worth billions seized
What has been officially confirmed is that assets worth billions of dollars were confiscated and transferred to the state. These included property, cash, valuables and other holdings obtained through corruption.
The court said the former mayor’s actions caused 'huge losses' to the state and severely damaged public trust. Judges described the case as one of the largest corruption scandals involving a city-level official in recent Chinese history.
China has pursued an aggressive anti-corruption drive for more than a decade. Hundreds of senior officials have been punished, including ministers, military officers and party leaders.
Social media reactions
The viral images triggered a flood of reactions online. Some users expressed shock at the sheer size of the alleged stash, while others used dark humour, comparing the official to fictional characters like Scrooge McDuck.
Others praised China’s harsh punishment for corruption, saying it sends a clear message. Critics, however, questioned whether such cases reflect deeper systemic issues.
As one online comment put it, “When cash is measured by weight, not count, something has gone very wrong.”
