Senior cop, official in Guangdong dismissed

A senior police advisor and a senior official in the southern province of Guangdong have been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from their offices for serious violation of Party discipline and State law, according to a statement from Guangdong's top anti-graft body on Thursday.

Procuratorial units are also investigating Pan Shengshen, former vice-chairman of the Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Wang Hong, former president of the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Architectural Design and Research.

Both Pan and Wang are suspected of accepting large amounts of bribes during office, the statement said.

Pan, born in 1950, has been placed under investigation for serious violation of Party discipline and State law and accepting bribes on Jan 6. He was chairman and general manager of Guangzhou Guangri Group before he became deputy chairman of Guangzhou's top advisory body in 2007.

Pan, an economist and a native of Xingning county in the eastern part of Guangdong, is a member of the Guangzhou Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association.

Three senior executives from Guangzhou Guangri Group have also been dismissed and put under investigation following the probe on Pan.

Bai Wen, Lin Feng and Hu Zishi, all deputy general managers in Pan's company, are also suspected of being key members in Pan's corruption case. All are suspected of taking large bribes when they were in office.

Wang Hong is also being investigated for accepting large bribes in promoting his subordinates. He is suspected of frequently visiting luxury private clubs and restaurants, in violation of the central government's ban on Party and government officials from such luxury venues.

Wang is also being investigated for alleged sexual relations with several women when he was in office.