Ling Jihua expelled from CPC, to face justice

Ling Jihua, the former vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, attends a meeting during this 2013 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING -- Ling Jihua has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and removed from public office, according to a decision made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday.

The meeting also decided to transfer the suspected criminal case of Ling, former vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, and relevant clues to judicial organs for handling in accordance with the law.

Investigations found Ling seriously violated the political discipline and rules of the CPC, as well as the Party's organizational and confidentiality discipline. He took advantage of his posts to seek profit for others and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family, according to a statement released late Monday after the meeting.

Ling also obtained a great deal of the Party and state's core secrets in violation of laws and discipline. Ling violated regulations on integrity and self-discipline, accepting others' money and belongings personally and through his wife, and sought benefits for his wife's businesses.

The statement added that Ling committed adultery with a number of women and traded his power for sex. He should bear major responsibility for his family members' acts of seeking profits with the influence of his position.

Investigation also found clues showing that Ling may have engaged in other criminal offenses.

Ling's acts completely deviated from the CPC's nature and purpose, seriously violated the Party's discipline and severely undermined the Party's image, with extremely bad social influence, the statement said.

The decisions to expel Ling from the CPC and public office and to transfer his case to judicial organs were made in accordance with a CPC intra-Party supervisory disciplinary regulation and a disciplinary regulation for civil servants in administrative organs. Attendees at Monday's meeting deliberated and adopted an investigation report on Ling's "severe disciplinary violations", which had been submitted by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the statement said.

On Dec. 22, 2014, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to launch an investigation into Ling based on clues uncovered by the CCDI, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, according to the statement.

In February this year, a meeting of the CPPCC National Committee announced that Ling had been removed from the post of vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and stripped of his CPPCC membership, the country's top political advisory body.