Ex-official gave family 42 houses, watchdog says

A former senior official who was recently investigated for corruption was found to have purchased 42 houses for family members in the Shenzhen special economic zone, according to an official from the Guangdong provincial Party Commission of Discipline Inspection.

Zhong Shijian, deputy head of Guangdong's top anti-graft body, said Jiang Zunyu was also found to have bank deposits and valuable stocks worthy of more than 200 million yuan ($32.1 million) at home.

Zhong revealed the information on Monday during a panel discussion of the 11th Session of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Jiang, 57, is a former member of the standing committee of the Communist Party of China's Shenzhen Committee and secretary of the city's CPC committee for political and legal affairs since January 2013. He was taken away by anti-graft officials in October on suspicion of accepting large bribes while in office.

Zhong said Jiang was the highest-level official in Shenzhen to be sacked since the central leadership launched an anti-corruption campaign in late 2012, and is expected to stand trial.

A local source said Jiang, formerly a prefecture-level official, would be tried on three charges, including taking bribes in connection with the 2011 Shenzhen Summer Universiade infrastructure construction projects, of colluding with local real estate developers and of securing government positions for others.