Top intelligence official held in China over graft



Top intelligence official held in China over graft

BEIJING, China - A top official of a Chinese power intelligence agency has been detained for questioning in a corruption probe, joining a list of high ranking officials targeted in the country's crackdown on graft.

According to a terse one line statement of the ruling Communist Party's central anti-corruption agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Ma Jian was under investigation on suspicion of "serious violations of discipline" a party term which usually connotes graft.

Ma, a vice-minister at China's Ministry of State Security, is well-known to the international intelligence community. He is reported to have led China's counter-intelligence efforts for the powerful spy agency in a career spanning more than 30 years.

Ma joins a long list of officials who have been caught in Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on graft. About 100,000 officials have already been snared by the anti-corruption campaign, which started in December 2012.

Zhou Yongkang, a former member of Communist Party of China's (CPC) Politburo Standing Committee, who used to look after the country's vast security network, is also being investigated for graft. He was expelled from the party last month.

South China Monitoring Post, citing unnamed sources said that several of Ma's close relatives were also under investigation.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the investigations, but, according to the Post, they are believed to be linked to a high-profile anti-graft probe into activities at the top of Founder Group, a Peking University-owned technology conglomerate.

Ma is believed to be close to Founder chief executive Li You, who allegedly financed hugely profitable securities trades carried out by one of Ma's relatives.

In another significant announcement, one more top Chinese military official was said to be facing the axe under the sweeping anti-corruption drive.

Liu Zheng, deputy head of the People's Liberation Army's General Logistics Department, was among 16 senior officers placed under investigation last year, the PLA website said Thursday.

General Liu has been under the scanner for alleged corruption since November.

Meanwhile, a former senior executive of the country's second-largest telecom carrier China Unicom also faces prosecution in a high profile graft case, the anti-corruption agency said.

Zong Xinhua, formerly in charge of China Unicom's e-commerce and information technology unit, was sacked in December.

Top intelligence official held in China over graft

Top intelligence official held in China over graft

Big News Network.com
17th January 2015, 13:45 GMT+11

BEIJING, China - A top official of a Chinese power intelligence agency has been detained for questioning in a corruption probe, joining a list of high ranking officials targeted in the country's crackdown on graft.

According to a terse one line statement of the ruling Communist Party's central anti-corruption agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Ma Jian was under investigation on suspicion of "serious violations of discipline" a party term which usually connotes graft.

Ma, a vice-minister at China's Ministry of State Security, is well-known to the international intelligence community. He is reported to have led China's counter-intelligence efforts for the powerful spy agency in a career spanning more than 30 years.

Ma joins a long list of officials who have been caught in Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on graft. About 100,000 officials have already been snared by the anti-corruption campaign, which started in December 2012.

Zhou Yongkang, a former member of Communist Party of China's (CPC) Politburo Standing Committee, who used to look after the country's vast security network, is also being investigated for graft. He was expelled from the party last month.

South China Monitoring Post, citing unnamed sources said that several of Ma's close relatives were also under investigation.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the investigations, but, according to the Post, they are believed to be linked to a high-profile anti-graft probe into activities at the top of Founder Group, a Peking University-owned technology conglomerate.

Ma is believed to be close to Founder chief executive Li You, who allegedly financed hugely profitable securities trades carried out by one of Ma's relatives.

In another significant announcement, one more top Chinese military official was said to be facing the axe under the sweeping anti-corruption drive.

Liu Zheng, deputy head of the People's Liberation Army's General Logistics Department, was among 16 senior officers placed under investigation last year, the PLA website said Thursday.

General Liu has been under the scanner for alleged corruption since November.

Meanwhile, a former senior executive of the country's second-largest telecom carrier China Unicom also faces prosecution in a high profile graft case, the anti-corruption agency said.

Zong Xinhua, formerly in charge of China Unicom's e-commerce and information technology unit, was sacked in December.