Chinese policeman who cracked down on organized crime is on 'holiday', maybe corrupt

Beijing - A Chinese policeman, who has acquired a reputation for cracking down on organized crime, has reportedly gone a holiday, amid rumours that he is under investigation for corruption.

Wang Lijun is receiving what his employers describe as "holiday-style medical treatment".

According to the BBC, Lijun shot to national fame several years ago after spearheading a popular crackdown on crime in the city of Chongqing.

It would now be a major embarrassment if he was found to have broken the law.

The drama began late last week when the Chongqing city government announced that "comrade" Wang would no longer be the head of the police department.

He kept his post as deputy mayor with new responsibilities, leaving some to speculate that he had not been demoted.

But in his new role, the local authority said Wang would be in charge of areas that included landscape gardening and historical records, which naturally led to rumors that he had fallen from grace.

On Wednesday, the city government's news department said on its micro-blog site that Wang had gone on leave.

Lijun developed a reputation for being tough on organized crime shortly after starting his career in law enforcement in 1984 in the Inner Mongolia region.

He moved to Chongqing in 2008 and was even the subject of a television drama titled Iron-Blooded Police Spirits.

Some rumors suggest that Wang had sought asylum at the US consulate in Chengdu, a city near Chongqing.

The US state department confirmed on Wednesday that Wang had sought and attended a meeting at the consulate.

But a spokeswoman refused to comment on rumors that he had sought asylum, adding that he had left the consulate "of his own volition".