Nearly 100 residents of Shayi Village in Bao’an District joined a protest rally in front of the district government office complex Thursday to petition for the release of a former village head involved in a graft probe.

Chen Caixing — former chief of the village and chairman of a village cooperative with villagers as shareholders — was detained Jan. 24 while he was attempting to leave Shenzhen for Hong Kong. He had been expelled from the Party for alleged embezzlement and Party disciplinary violations, the district disciplinary commission told the Southern Metropolis Daily.

The disciplinary commission received reports last year that Chen Caixing had embezzled 3 billion yuan (US$440 million).

The petitioners said they wanted Chen to return home so he could spend the Spring Festival with his family, because he had not yet been convicted of any charges.

“They (the commission) can bring him back for further investigation after the festival,” an unidentified villager said.

They also asked that Chen Haiping, a political rival of Chen Caixing and head of the neighborhood committee, to be removed from his post, the Daily said.

Supporters of the two men had been at war for a long time, the report said. Chen Haiping had offered to resign, the Daily said.

The disciplinary commission said an investigation found that Chen Caixing had taken advantage of his post by accepting bribes from project contractors and sought profit for his relatives and family members.

Chen had offered to resign as cooperative chairman and investigations were continuing, it said.

(By Mu Zi)