ILLEGALLY used funds of over 2.4 billion yuan (US$348 million) were discovered last year after audits of 4,132 projects in Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

    During a video conference held by the city’s audit bureau Monday, the bureau’s head, Chen Qianwen, said that the bureau had audited over 4,132 projects last year and released 1,233 audit results to the public, which unveiled over 2.4 billion yuan of misappropriated funds.

    Chen said that the bureau would continue fulfilling its obligation and enhance the quality and efficiency of audits by strengthening its personnel’s expertise this year.

    The city’s deputy mayor, Zhang Hu, said that the bureau should optimize the audit mechanism, carry out institutional reform and digitalize the auditing process to improve efficiency. He said that the bureau’s staff members should be self-disciplined and carry out audits following legal procedures to assist in anti-graft investigations.

    (Zhang Yang)