Steamy diary goes online

A CHINESE official has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes after his steamy diary describing casual sex, drinking parties and corruption appeared online.

Han Feng, 53, was arrested for allegedly taking 482,000 yuan in bribes between 2002 and 2010 while working for the tobacco bureau in southern Guangxi region.

Han’s case, dubbed “Diarygate” by the Chinese media, is part of a continuing battle by the Communist Party against deep-seated corruption.

Prosecutors say they investigated 2,670 officials above the county level in 2009 for corruption, including Huang Songyou, a former vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court, and seven others holding senior rank.

State media had reported that the husband of one of Han’s mistresses, in a bid for revenge, posted online in February what purported to be the government employee’s lurid diary entries.

Earlier this month, the China Daily printed an excerpt from 2007 that read: “Womanising is on the right track. It’s been a lucky year with women. I need to pay attention to my health with so many sex partners.”