CPC expels 2 officials after corruption probe

Two high-ranking officials have been expelled from the Communist Party of China and public office, the CPC anti-graft body announced Thursday.

Wang Xiaolin, former deputy director of the National Energy Administration and Li Yihuang, ex-vice governor of east China’s Jiangxi Province, have been expelled from the Party and public office for multiple offenses, including taking bribes.

Wang was found to have violated rules to pry into inspection information, play golf and attend banquets, “voluntarily making himself easy prey” for others, according to a CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection statement.

“He used his position to seek profits for others and related companies, and took a huge amount of bribes,” the statement read.

Other offenses included seeking personal gain in personnel selection and promotion, not reporting personal matters to authorities according to rules, and intervening in judicial affairs. His illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary.

Wang’s expulsion from the Party has been approved by the CPC Central Committee, while the National Supervisory Commission has removed him from public office.

Born in 1963, Wang was appointed to the position at the National Energy Administration in 2015 after working at Shenhua Group, China’s largest coal producer, for about 20 years.

In the unrelated case of Li Yihuang,  he was found in serious violation of the Party’s political code of conduct and rules, including “forming a clique” and “twisting political guidance in personnel selection and promotion,” said the CCDI.

It said Li had used public funds to play golf and occupied a villa that should have been used by experts who work for state-owned enterprises.

Other offenses include taking advantage of his posts to seek profits for his relatives’ business, and intervening in enterprises’ decision-making. “Even after the 18th CPC National Congress, he still showed no sign of restraint and should be harshly punished,” said the statement.

Li’s illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary.