Chongqing vows thorough investigation for sex video scandal

Disciplinary authorities in southwest China's Chongqing municipality on Thursday vowed to thoroughly investigate officials who are believed to have been involved in a recent sex video scandal.

"The investigation results will withstand the challenges of history and society," said an official from the city's Discipline Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Since November, 11 county- and district-level officials in local government departments or state-owned enterprises have been removed from their posts for allegedly appearing in sex videos.

The sacked officials include Lei Zhengfu, CPC chief of Chongqing's Beibei district.

Lei, who was sacked following a police investigation, is expected to be prosecuted on charges of corruption, the discipline official said.

The commission organized a special investigation team following the appearance of the videos and police have busted a criminal ring suspected of hiring women to seduce officials and extort them.

However, the official said that since the footage was shot as long as four years ago, it took time for investigators to collect related evidence.

The official made the statement after Zhu Ruifeng, an independent investigative journalist who brought the scandal to light in November, claimed earlier this week that he had obtained footage of even more officials.

Zhu said Tuesday that he had obtained most of the footage from a source at the municipal public security bureau, but has refused to give the footage to police in order to protect his source.

Zhu said he plans to release the footage later in order to encourage authorities to conduct further investigations.