Two officials in Hamju County, South Hamgyong Province, were recently punished for violating and complaining about the state’s quarantine policies, Daily NK has learned.
A source in South Hamgyung Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that the provincial Emergency Anti-epidemic Command convened a meeting under the secretary of the provincial party committee. As a result of the meeting, the assistant manager of Hamju County’s power transmission and distribution facility and the deputy chief of the Hamju County Ministry of Social Security branch were dismissed and banished to remote locations after being accused of complaining about and violating the country’s emergency disease control guidelines.
According to the source, the provincial party committee received an order from the central government to send a report related to the emergency quarantine measures. The committee then held a meeting to expose and condemn the “arrogant” actions by the officials, analyze the results of the implementation of disease control measures, and review difficulties reported by party organizations at the municipal and county levels.
According to the source, the meeting was held after the Hamju County Party Committee’s chief secretary reported the actions of the two officials, which had been going on over the past two years during their “emergency quarantine activities.”
At the meeting, the two officials were criticized for committing various problematic and inappropriate actions that went against the party’s policy based on a report that had been sent up the line by Hamju County’s party committee.
First of all, the assistant manager of Hamju County’s power transmission and distribution facility was criticized for mismanaging electricity supply, resulting in local factories that produce sanitary and quarantine goods to fail to comply with rules that only allow the use of electricity at set times. The county party committee also reported that the official was accused of brazenly criticizing the state’s electricity situation.
Meanwhile, the deputy chief of the Hamju County Ministry of Social Security office, remarking that there were “too many” cases of violations of quarantine regulations issued by quarantine checkpoints, tried to cover up the incidents. Although quarantine and travel certificates must be issued in accordance with the state’s emergency disease prevention guidelines, it was revealed that the office issued such certificates en masse while taking bribes.
Moreover, despite the fact that the deputy chief had received various warnings from the county party committee about his conduct, he simply used a relative in the provincial party committee to act as his protector while claiming innocence.
“In the end, the provincial party committee ordered [the two officials] to be dismissed and banished,” the source said. “Specifically, the assistant manager of Hamju County’s power transmission and distribution facility and his family were banished to Buryong County while the deputy chief of the Hamju County Ministry of Social Security branch was banished to Jangjin County.”
Translated by Gabriela Bernal. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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