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Betting the Farm

Two officials from Agricultural Bank of China were arrested for allegedly stealing funds compensating farmers for land acquisition, then gambling them away.

Guangdong’s Nanfang Daily newspaper reported in August 2011 that Zhou Donghua (唐剑威), the head of the Luogang (萝岗) District branch of Agricultural Bank of China in the city of Guangzhou, and Tang Jianwei (唐剑威), the branch client services manager, were arrested and charged with corruption for allegedly stealing 59.5 million yuan in land requisition compensation funds for agricultural land — funds that ordinarily would be given to farmers losing their land to make room for development. The charges said the men had used the funds for gambling and other illegal activities. In this cartoon, posted by the Kunming-based studio Yuan Jiao Man’s Space (圆觉漫时空) to QQ.com, two officials with bags reading “land requisition compensation fund” slung over their shoulders, roll the dice at a casino table. The cup they hold bears the logo of the Agricultural Bank of China.

David Bandurski

CMP Director

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