Military top brass not spared in cleanup

Senior officers of the People's Liberation Army suspected of wrongdoing have not been spared during the country's anti-graft drive.

For many observers, the past year might also have seemed like a major cleanup of the armed forces as part of the top leadership's effort to ensure a combat-ready military. Former top brass netted in the crackdown include:

Xu Caihou, 71, retired general and former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission

As one of the most powerful officials in the PLA, Xu was found to have taken advantage of his position to assist the promotion of others, accepting huge bribes personally and through his family, and to have sought profits for others in exchange for bribes, according to military investigators.

PLA prosecutors completed investigations and began filing the case in late October. Xu is the highest-level PLA officer to be investigated and charged in more than 30 years.

Yang Jinshan, 60, lieutenant general of the PLA ground force and former deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Command

Yang was expelled from the Party in October for gravely violating internal discipline, an accusation that generally refers to corruption. He had moved up through the ranks at the Chengdu Military Command after joining the PLA in 1969.

Gu Junshan, 58, former deputy head of the PLA General Logistics Department

In March, Gu was prosecuted for embezzlement, bribery, misuse of State funds and abuse of power. He is alleged to have accumulated goods and property worth more than 600 million yuan ($98 million), according to investigators.

Gao Xiaoyan, 57, deputy political commissar and chief of discipline inspection at PLA Information Engineering University

Gao has been placed under internal investigation for alleged corruption. She is suspected of taking bribes in connection with construction projects at PLA 309 Hospital between 2005 and 2012, when she was the political commissar at the hospital, Chinese media reported. Gao is believed to be the first female general to be investigated since the new leadership took office.

Other high-ranking officers probed include Dai Weimin, deputy president of PLA Nanjing Political College; Ye Wanyong, former political commissar of the Sichuan Provincial Military Command; and Wei Jin, deputy political commissar of the Tibet Military Command. All are PLA ground force major generals.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/31/2014 page6)