Disgraced senior official faces raft of charges

Former Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang reacts as he attends the Hebei delegation discussion sessions at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing in this October 16, 2007 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Zhou is the highest-ranking official investigated in the fight against corruption since 1978, when China's reform and opening-up was launched.

In July, Zhou, who retired from the Politburo Standing Committee in 2012, was placed under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary violations by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

He was arrested in December, expelled from the Party and placed under investigation by the top prosecuting department, accused of a series of offenses, including accepting bribes and leaking State secrets.

From 2007 to 2013, Zhou was secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, the country's top security and judicial agency. Before that, he served as minister of public security from 2002 to 2007 and as Party secretary of Sichuan province from 1999 to 2002.

He worked in the oil industry from 1967 to 1998 and became general manager of China National Petroleum Corporation in 1996.

A report by Caixin magazine alleged that Zhou Bin, the son of Zhou Yongkang, had accumulated a huge amount of wealth with his father's influence in the gasoline industry. In one case, the younger Zhou bought an oilfield for less than 20 million yuan ($3.2 million) from CNPC and sold it for 550 million yuan.