A Chinese journalist has been detained for "fabricating rumours" after he sought a probe into the alleged wrongdoings by a former senior official in Chongqing, the mega city previously headed by disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai.
"A journalist surnamed Liu Hu with the Xin Kuai Bao newspaper has been held by police as he is suspected of fabricating and spreading rumours," the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said on its microblog today.
"The case is under further investigation and Beijing police did not release detailed information on the case," state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Guangzhou-based Xin Kuai Bao is affiliated with the state-run Yangcheng Evening News Group.
Earlier Liu's lawyer Si Weijiang said the journalist was detained at his home in Chongqing Southwest China and later taken to Beijing.
He was arrested after he asked authorities to investigate into the activities of Ma Zhengqi, deputy director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
Liu last month accused Ma, a former Chongqing vice mayor, of dereliction of duty in the restructuring of a state-owned company in the city, leading to losses of dozens of millions of yuan, the media reports said.
"I call on the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and other authorities to immediately suspend Ma Qizheng's public office and start an investigation," he said, referring to the Communist Party's anti-corruption department.
Liu posted information online about possible corruption of some officials.
His arrest is timed along with the trial of disgraced Communist Party leader Bo who headed Chongqing city before his dismissal last year.
He is accused of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
Some of the Chinese journalists and public make use of the flourishing microblog media to expose corruption and abuse of power.
