China's Supreme People's Court has launched an investigation over the documents it had lost two years ago in a sky-priced dispute worth over a hundred-billion yuan between two mining companies.
In the announcement released by the country's highest court on Saturday, it also stressed the zero-tolerance principle over malfeasance, and welcomed public supervision.
The disappearance of the documents, which happened two years ago, hadn't been disclosed to the public until popular blogger Cui Yongyuan posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo during the past week.
On Sunday, a video recording of a man revealing how the documents had been found lost went viral on Weibo. The man is believed to be the supreme court judge, Wang Linqing, who presided over the dispute.
He said he had stored the documents in his office, but found them gone on the morning of November 28, 2016. He also highlighted that two closed-circuit TV cameras near his office had been sabotaged at the time.
Man believed to be supreme court judge Wang Linqing is telling his side of the story in a video. / Screenshot on Weibo
The supreme court initially denied the veracity of Cui's post on Thursday and Friday, but admitted to the loss in its third announcement.
"We have started the investigation procedure regarding Weibo account Cuiyongyuan's report. Welcome Cui Yongyuan and the public to provide us with more clues to the case. "
"We will handle the case in a serious manner if we find any practice of malfeasance by our court staff," the announcement reads.
The court's announcement. / Screenshot on WeChat official account
The lost documents are believed to contain crucial details of a 15-year-old dispute between a private and state-owned firm over the exploration and mining right of an energy base in northwest China's Shanxi province. The energy base reportedly has two billion tonnes of coal reserves and was engaged in a hundred-billion yuan contract between the two firms back in 2003.
The disappearance of the documents have generated much attention.
"There is an old saying, 'Truth should not only be realized, but also be realized under transparency'," said the People's Daily on Sunday, arguing that the people would be convinced of fairness and justice as long as the authorities be true to the facts, and work with sincerity and better transparency.
People's Daily shares views regarding the case. / Screenshot on Weibo