Ling Jihua has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and prosecutors have opened an investigation into his suspected crimes and decided to arrest him, authorities announced on July 20.

Ling's expulsion from the CPC and removal from public office were according to a decision made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on July 20.

The meeting also decided to transfer the suspected criminal case of Ling, formerly Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee and Head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, and relevant clues to judicial organs for handling in accordance with the law.

A separate statement issued late on July 20 by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said prosecutors had opened an investigation into Ling's suspected bribery case and decided to arrest him in accordance with the law.

Investigations found Ling seriously violated the political discipline and rules of the CPC, as well as the Party's organizational and confidentiality discipline. He took advantage of his posts to seek profit for others and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family, according to a statement released after the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Ling also obtained a great deal of the Party and state's core secrets in violation of laws and discipline. He violated regulations on integrity and self-discipline, accepting others' money and belongings personally and through his wife, and sought benefits for his wife's businesses.

Ling also committed adultery with a number of women and traded his power for sex, the statement added. He should bear major responsibility for his family members' acts of seeking profit using the influence of his position.

The investigation also found clues that Ling may have engaged in other criminal offenses.

Ling's acts completely deviated from the CPC's nature and purpose, seriously violated the Party's discipline and severely undermined the Party's image, with extremely bad social influence, the statement said.

The decisions to expel Ling from the CPC and public office and to transfer his case to judicial organs were made in accordance with a CPC intra-Party supervisory disciplinary regulation and a disciplinary regulation for civil servants in administrative organs. Attendees at July 20's meeting deliberated and adopted an investigation report on Ling's "severe disciplinary violations", which had been submitted by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the statement said.

On December 22, 2014, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to launch an investigation into Ling based on clues uncovered by the CCDI, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, according to the statement.

In February this year, a meeting of the CPPCC National Committee announced that Ling had been removed from the post of vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and stripped of his CPPCC membership, the country's top political advisory body.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2015)