Graft-busters expelled from Party

BEIJING - The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday announced the expulsion of six officials from the Party and public office for "serious violations of discipline and law."

According to a statement from the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, all six officials are local graft-busters tasked with investigating corruption.

In one case, Luo Weiguo, former head of the discipline inspection unit of the Department of Land and Resources in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was found to have facilitated others in acquiring land projects. He received more than 16.82 million yuan ($2.72 million) in bribes.

Luo was also found to have committed adultery. As a retired official, he was expelled from the Party and stripped of his retirement benefits, according to the statement.

In another case, Yang Xiaocheng, a former Beijing disciplinary official, was found to have taken bribes and sought profits for his mistress. Yang was expelled from the CPC and dismissed from public office.

The other four former discipline inspectors were Xu Jinhua from East China's Jiangxi province, Jin Liang from Central China's Hunan province, Zheng Qiliang from East China's Shandong province and Gao Hongming from East China's Jiangsu province. They are accused of graft, embezzlement and abuse of power.

Five of them have been transferred to judicial organs for suspected violation of law and Gao was sentenced to five years in prison last December, the statement said.

As China's anti-corruption campaign picks up momentum, those tasked with rooting out graft are also facing closer scrutiny.

Earlier this year, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee also publicized 10 cases of disciplinary or legal violations by police officers, judges and prosecutors.