The family of an official in Anhui Province who died in prison under mysterious circumstances after reporting the corrupt activities of his superior has received 880,000 yuan (US$134,000) in compensation from the local government.

Li Guofu, the former CEO of Anshu Real Estate Development Co, a State-owned enterprise in Yingquan District, Fuyang city, revealed to the media in 2007 details of the corruption of Zhang Zhi'an, former Party Secretary of the CPC Yingquan Committee.

In retaliation, Zhang claimed Li had engaged in corrupt activities, and asked Wang Cheng, the head of the Yingquan procuratorate, to arrest Li in August 2007. Li died in prison in March the following year.

The local government claimed that Li had hanged himself in prison, an assertion that was questioned by Li's family.

"We don't believe that he committed suicide as the government said, but we are not clear about how he died, so we asked for an autopsy, which was refused," said Li Denghui, the son of Li Guofu.

The Anhui provincial authorities, including the Commission of Discipline Inspection of the CPC Anhui Committee and Anhui People's Procuratorate, began investigating Zhang Zhi'an in 2008 in the wake of news reports.

Zhang was sentenced to death with two years' reprieve in February 2010 on various charges including libel and taking bribes of 3.59 million yuan (US$546,000).

Li Denghui told the Global Times Monday that last Friday the family received compensation from the People's Procuratorate of Fuyang, the Yingquan District government, the Yingquan Public Security Bureau and the Fuyang No. 1 Prison.

After receiving the compensation, Li's family finally gave approval for the corpse to be cremated after keeping it as evidence in a funeral parlor for almost four years.