A bill granting permission to detain the former vice-governnor of southwest China's Sichuan province is being reviewed by the provincial people's congress Tuesday, the Beijing News reported Tuesday.

Li Dachang, is suspected of embezzling special funds allocated by the Chinese Ministry of Finance in 1997, according to the national business daily. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has put his case up for investigation on January 6.

In January 1997, the Ministry allocated 100 million yuan (12 million US dollars) to the Export-Import Bank of China and required the bank to offer five-year-term special loan valued 10 million US dollars to China Sichuan International Cooperation Co.,Ltd. Li had approved embezzling the loan funds, causing great economic losses, the national business daily said.

The report was submitted by the provincial people's procuratorate on January 13 to the 10th Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee. If it is approved by the 10th Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee Tuesday, Li will be detained or arrested.

Li has violated China's criminal law and should be brought to justice, the Beijing News quoted the report as saying.

Li resigned from the vice-governorship of Sichuan in 2003 and returned to his alma mater, the Southwestern University of Finance and Economic, to act as a tutor to medical school students.