Congress deputy awaits trial over bigamy

TAIYUAN - A People's Congress deputy from North China's city of Taiyuan has lost his job over allegations of having multiple wives, local authorities said Thursday.

Authorities from the city's Xiaodian district said Li Juwen, former director of the Xizan Village Committee, has been suspended from his post as the Xiaodian district's People's Congress deputy.

Li is currently on bail and awaiting trial.

It is likely that Li will be charged with bigamy and violation of the one-child policy.

It is openly known in the village of Xizan that Li has four wives, as three of his wives, as well as nine of the children he has had with them, are registered as local residents living in his household.

After failing to be re-elected as head of the village committee in 2011, he lost the "privilege" of having his fourth wife and their son registered in his household.

The district government has set up a work committee made up of members of the district's People's Congress, discipline department, politics and law committee, public security department, family planning department and civil affairs department to investigate the case.