Three former officials expelled from Party

Three former senior officials with public security backgrounds were expelled from the Communist Party of China on Wednesday over corruption allegations amid the intensified anti-graft campaign in China's judicial system.

Yu Gang, former deputy director of the general office of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, Ji Wenlin, former vice-governor of Hainan province, and Tan Hong, a former senior officer in the guard bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, were expelled from the Party.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog, found that all of them had taken huge bribes and used their posts to seek interests for others. Yu and Ji have also been accused of committing adultery.

Five officials have been accused of adultery since the beginning of last month. Their cases have been handed over to the judicial authorities for further investigation, said the commission.

All of them have worked for the public security authorities. The commission where Yu worked has connections with the Ministry of Public Security, the top court, the top procuratorate and the Ministry of Justice, while Ji worked as deputy director of the general office of the Ministry of Public Security from 2003 to 2008.

The CCDI announced it was investigating Ji on Feb 18. He was the first ministerial-level official to be placed under investigation by the CCDI this year. The commission has probed at least 15 officials at and above ministerial level this year. Last year, it probed at least 17 officials at the same level.

The anti-graft campaign has been enhanced recently in the public security sector.

On Monday, Li Dongsheng, former vice-minister of public security, was expelled from the Party organization. Li was a former member of the 18th CPC Central Committee. There are 205 members, mostly senior officials at and above ministerial levels, on the committee.

A CCDI investigation into Li's case found that he took advantage of his position to seek benefits for others and extorted and received "a huge amount" of bribes.

Li Chengyan, a professor of clean-governance research at Peking University, said that officials from the political and legal sectors, including public security, have become the target of the anti-graft campaign.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn