The Communist Party official responsible for Binhai New Zone in Tianjin in northern China has been fired and expelled from the party over graft allegations.
The official, Xinhua News Agency said, Pi Qiansheng, had been the subject of an investigation prior to his firing for "serious discipline violations" which is the party’s standard term for corruption.
Expulsion from the party indicates that the internal probe carried out by the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has been completed and the case forwarded to the courts for prosecution. Convictions in such cases are virtually guaranteed. Sentences are not light.
Xinhua, citing the discipline commission, said Pi had been found to have "taken advantage of his posts by accepting large amounts of money to seek gains for others."
Pi had been responsible for overseeing the Binhai New Area on the outskirts of the northern city of Tianjin, which has been aggressively promoted by the government in recent years with tax breaks and other incentives. The sprawling zone is home to the city’s airport and manufacturing plants, including an Airbus A-320 assembly line.
BusinessWeek.com reported Pi was also a vice party secretary of Tianjin, giving him considerable power and influence.
You must log in to post a comment.