3 former high-level officials charged in bribes

Prosecutors have charged three former vice-ministerial officials for taking huge bribes, one of them the brother of Ling Jihua, a corrupt former State-level leader, the top procuratorate announced on Sunday.

Ling Zhengce, former vice－chairman of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was found to be taking bribes either in cash or other properties, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate. No details on the amount were released.

According to the indictment, when Ling Zhengce was serving as deputy director, and then director, of the Shanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission and vice chairman of the local advisory body, he made use of his position and influence to help others make illegal gains.

Changzhou People's Procuratorate in Jiangsu province is prosecuting the case in Changzhou Intermediate People's Court. A court hearing will be held in a later date, according to the SPP.

Ling Zhengce, 64, is a brother of Ling Jihua, former vice－chairman of the CPPCC. The latter was sentenced on July 4 to life in prison for taking bribes totaling 77.08 million yuan ($11.6 million), illegally obtaining State secrets and abusing his power.

In a separate development, prosecutors have also filed graft charges against two other senior officials－Chen Chuanping, former vice-governor of Shanxi, and Sun Hongzhi, former deputy head of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce.

According to the SPP, Chen was charged with abusing power and accepting bribes.

When he served as the vice-governor of Shanxi and Communist Party chief of Taiyuan, he exploited his position to benefit others and took bribes.

Prosecutors also said that when Chen served as chairman of Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group, he abused his power, resulting in an "extremely heavy loss" of national interests.

Sun from the SAIC was accused of embezzlement, bribery and owning a large amount of property without being able to clearly show how he bought it, according to the SPP.

Tackling graft has become a priority for the country since late 2012, when the new national leadership was elected.

To date, more than 140 officials of ministerial level or above have been probed, charged or convicted in corruption investigations, including the country's former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was sentenced to life in prison in June 2015.

Although several years have passed, the central leadership hasn't relaxed its anti-graft efforts and is expected to keep the pressure on corruption, according to Hong Daode, a criminal law professor from China University of Political Science and Law.

"In addition to fighting corruption in some of the worst-affected regions and industries, such as real estate, mineral resources and infrastructure construction, the graft fight may also reach more of the grassroots level to benefit more ordinary people," he added.