China has booted a senior military official who is embroiled in a corruption scandal from its parliament, state media reported yesterday.
The development, which comes as China’s leadership pursues a campaign to weed out corruption and excess in its armed forces, is significant because it means Liu Zheng (劉錚) has been stripped of immunity from prosecution as a member of parliament, state media reported, citing a statement from the standing committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, the largely rubber-stamp legislature.
Liu, a former deputy director of the powerful General Logistics Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, is under investigation, the Ministry of National Defense said last month, accused of “seriously violating party discipline” — a common euphemism for graft.
Serving and retired Chinese military officers have said graft in the armed forces is so pervasive it could undermine China’s ability to wage war.
China’s campaign to rid its military of corruption has ensnared several high-ranking officials, including Xu Caihou (徐才厚), who retired as vice chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission last year.
China said last summer it was investigating Xu for graft.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has vowed to target high-flying “tigers” as well as lowly “flies” in his anti-corruption campaign. The campaign, now in its third year, has shown no sign of relaxing, with the party’s disciplinary officials vowing to root out the scourge that has alienated the party from the public.
Meanwhile, a Chinese court yesterday sentenced a former Chinese vice governor known for his appetite for jade and arts to 17 years in prison on corruption charges.
Ni Fake (倪發科), former vice governor of the eastern province of Anhui, was found guilty of taking more than US$2 million in bribes, the Municipal Intermediate People’s Court for the eastern city of Dongying said in a statement.
He also failed to explain the sources for nearly US$1 million of additional assets, the court said.
Ni was known for his connoisseurship of jade and arts, and those seeking his favors bribed him with the precious stone and scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, in addition to cash, according to the court. It said that Ni confessed and would not appeal the verdict.
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