Discipline watchdog explains process for confiscated illegal gains

Confiscated money and goods from corrupt officials are treated "with prudence" by discipline departments, the Communist Party of China's (CPC) top anti-corruption agency said on Thursday.

Proceeds from suspected crimes will be turned over to judiciary authorities for them to handle according to law; earnings from discipline violations will be submitted to the state treasury; and money or goods that are not illicit will be returned to their owners after completion of the investigation, according to a post on the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's (CCDI) website.

The CCDI explained that the three rules were "principles" for dealing with the illegal gains of corruption convicts.

The CCDI is cautious and strict "with every link" when handling confiscated money and goods, it said, adding that Thursday's explanation was in response to public queries.

The Party has intensified its crackdown on corruption since Xi Jinping took power in late 2012. The country's disciplinary organs punished 232,000 officials at all levels in 2014, a yearly increase of 30 percent.