Chinese state prosecutors reportedly took China Unicom senior vice president Zhao Xudong into custody on January 12 as part of an investigation into his professional conduct.
Zhao’s investigation is believed to be along similar lines to that of former China Mobile executive Zhang Chunjiang who was recently sacked as vice chairman of the listed firm for reportedly falsifying financial details at another mainland telecom operator.
Further details of the allegations against Zhao have yet to emerge.
For his part, Zhang has also been stripped of his roles as party secretary and vice president at parent firm China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC).
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China found Zhang guilty of a “serious disciplinary breach.”
Zhang, previously chairman of China Netcom, joined China Mobile in 2008 when the two carriers merged.
According to a recent National Audit Office report, corrupt Chinese officials misappropriated around $35 billion(€24m) in 2009.