China Probes Three High-Ranking Allies of Former Security Chief

2014-07-14

 

Zhou Yongkang at the National People’s Congress opening session in Beijing, March 5, 2012.

AFP

 

 

China’s state prosecution service said on Monday it is proceeding with a criminal investigation into three top allies of former security czar Zhou Yongkang, in a further sign that the government may be deepening the anti-graft probe into him and his former power base.

 

Former vice minister of public security Li Dongsheng and Jiang Jiemin, formerly a top regulator of state-owned enterprises, along with former China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) senior manager Wang Yongchun, are all under formal investigation by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, according to an announcement on the prosecutor’s official website.

 

Until now, the majority of investigations have been carried out by the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s own internal investigations department, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

 

The move to criminal proceedings could signal that Zhou will be formally targeted in a high-level corruption investigation that will have wide-ranging political implications.

 

Since taking office in March 2013, President Xi Jinping has vowed to go after high-ranking “tigers” and low-ranking “flies” amid a nationwide anti-corruption drive. However, no direct announcement has been made regarding Zhou’s fate.

 

Zhou retired from public office in November 2012, and could become the highest-ranking party official to be targeted by an anti-graft campaign if he is eventually openly accused.

 

“Whether Zhou Yongkang can be formally prosecuted is a threshold Xi Jinping’s government and the CCP is facing,” New York-based Chinese human rights activist Liu Qing said.