Senior official in Anhui is probed for corruption

Bribery, abuse of power caused large losses of State assets, watchdog claims

The top prosecuting department is investigating another provincial-level official for corruption, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Thursday.

Han Xiancong, 59, former deputy head of the Anhui Provincial Political Consultative Conference, has been placed under investigation on suspicion of accepting huge bribes, the procuratorate said in a statement.

Meanwhile, he has been criminally detained, the procuratorate said.

In July, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection conducted an investigation on Han for alleged corruption. He was the 16th provincial official probed across the country and the first in Anhui province this year.

According to the CCDI, Han abused his power, caused great losses of State-owned assets and seriously violated clean-governance rules by attending many receptions using public funds.

In July, he was expelled from the Party and removed from his post. Meanwhile, he has been transferred to the Supreme People's Procuratorate to face trial, the commission said.

Legal Evening News reported that Han's fall may be related to Ni Fake, former deputy governor of Anhui province, who was probed on suspicion of accepting bribes and holding unidentified property, and will stand trial in Shangdong province next Monday.

The report said that from 2008 to 2012, when Han was serving as Party chief in Chuzhou, Anhui, he got to know a local real estate enterprise through Ni. Han then abused his power to gain huge benefits for the company and took huge bribes.

In addition, when he was serving as deputy head of the Anhui Provincial Political Consultative Conference in 2013, he frequently visited luxury hotels and private clubs to participate in receptions held by managers of State-owned enterprises and private company bosses.

Since November 2012, when the Party's new leadership was elected, fighting corruption has been a top priority of the CPC Central Committee. President Xi Jinping told anti-graft officers earlier this year that they should fight against corruption with firm resolution "like using strong medicine to cure a serious illness".

By early December, more than 50 " tigers" - senior officials of provincial or ministerial-level and above - had been probed for corruption.