Former Shanghai Party chief Chen Liangyu was yesterday stripped
of his last official post as deputy to the National People's
Congress (NPC), the top legislature, for serious violation of law
and Party discipline.
The Shanghai Municipal People's Congress decided to remove him
from his position as an NPC deputy in July and the 29th session of
the NPC Standing Committee approved the decision yesterday.
Chen has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC)
and dismissed from all government posts and is in detention
awaiting trial.
The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection started an
investigation into Chen in September last year for his alleged
involvement in the Shanghai social security fund scandal.
Chen, 61, was the secretary of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee
and member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
when the corruption scandal broke.
Duan Yihe, former chairman of the Standing Committee of the
Jinan Municipal People's Congress of Shandong Province, who was
sentenced to death for murdering his mistress, was also expelled
from the country's top legislative body.
Two other lawmakers, Sun Shengchang, former mayor of Qitaihe of
Heilongjiang Province, and Bao Jianmin, former head of the Henan
Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau, were also kicked out of
the legislature because of graft charges.
During the past four years, at least 24 NPC deputies were
expelled from the top legislature for graft or other breaches of
law or disciplines.
The current NPC has nearly 3,000 deputies, who hold a five-year
tenure.
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2007)