A senior official with the Ministry of Public Security has been dismissed from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and his public office for "severe violations of discipline and laws," the CPC's disciplinary department said Thursday.

Zheng Shaodong, former assistant minister of public security, has been under investigation for alleged "severe violations against discipline and laws," according to the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party's internal anti-graft body.

The CPC Central Committee approved the penalties according to the CPC's inner-party supervisory disciplinary regulations and the country's Law on Public Servants, the CCDI said in a press release.

Zheng was found using his position to promote the interests of other people in return for a "large sum" of bribes. His relatives also accepted a "large sum" of money, it said, without giving the exact figure.

His illegal gains would be confiscated and his case has been referred for prosecution, it said.