Former vice-minister of public security charged

Sun Lijun, a former vice-minister of public security, has been charged with taking bribes, manipulating the securities market and illegal possession of firearms by the Changchun People's Procuratorate in Jilin province, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Thursday.

The SPP said in a statement that the Changchun procuratorate was tasked with handling the case and recently filed a public lawsuit against Sun at the Changchun Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors had informed Sun of his rights, questioned him and listened to the defense's position during their examination of the case, it said.

Prosecutors said Sun had capitalized on his positions and influence, including as head of the general operations division of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government foreign affairs office, deputy head of the general office of the Ministry of Public Security, and vice-minister of Public Security, for the benefit of others and to manipulate the securities market, acts for which he received bribes and properties in return. He also violated gun control regulations and owned firearms illegally.

Sun, 53, was placed under investigation for suspected severe violation of Party discipline and national laws by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission in April 2020. He was expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from office in September last year.

Sun, from Qingdao, Shandong province, began work in September 1988 and became a Party member in December 1997, the CCDI said on its website.

Separately, a former senior official in Hainan province pleaded guilty to charges of taking bribes of more than 274 million yuan ($43.1 million) at a public trial on Thursday.

The case involving Tong Daochi, former Party chief of Sanya, Hainan, was heard by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The verdict will be announced later.

Tong also served as a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and previously had multiple roles in the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

Prosecutors said that from 2004 to 2020, Tong took advantage of his positions in Hainan and the CSRC to seek benefits for individuals in enterprise listing, business operation, financing and career advancement. In return, he received money and property totaling 274 million yuan.

From 2006 to 2007, when Tong was deputy head of the CSRC's department of public offering supervision, he informed his relatives of insider information about stocks to trade for benefits, which was particularly serious, the prosecutors said.

Tong was expelled from the CPC and removed from public office for serious violations of Party discipline and national laws last year.