Former senior official of Zhejiang expelled from CPC, office

BEIJING -- Zhou Jiangyong, a former senior official in East China's Zhejiang province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office over serious violations of Party discipline and laws, the country's top anti-graft body announced Wednesday.

Zhou was formerly a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC municipal committee of Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital city.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said in a statement that an investigation into Zhou found that he had feigned compliance with decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee while acting in opposition to them.

It also found that Zhou had colluded with some capital elements and backed the runaway expansion of capital.

According to the investigation, Zhou had involved himself in some superstitious activities and attempted to resist the investigation of him.

The authority also accused Zhou of flouting the Central Committee's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct, the practice of pointless formalities in work, violating relevant rules in hiring personal guards and using public vehicles, and accepting banquets that may affect his impartial use of power.

Zhou was also found to have violated relevant rules to accept gifts and money and committed irregularities in official selection and appointment at the request of some private enterprise owners.

He also failed to report his personal information in accordance with relevant regulations. Other violations included intervening in market economy and judicial and law enforcement activities, trading power for money, and taking advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others in regard to project contracting, land use and tax returns.

He had colluded with his relatives in illegally accepting a huge amount of money and gifts, the statement said.

Zhou has severely violated the Party's discipline and is suspected of taking bribes and being in serious violation of duty-related laws, the statement said, adding that his case is serious in nature and has a bad influence.

In line with Party regulations and laws, a decision has been made to expel him from the Party and public office, confiscate his illicit gains and hand over his case for judicial proceedings.

His qualification as a delegate to the 19th CPC National Congress was also terminated.