Chinese Communist party expels top official for corruption

Beijing: A former chief of Communist Party of China (CPC) in Hubei province has been expelled for corruption and inappropriate sexual relationships.

Hu Xunbi, currently the chairman of Zhiyin Media Group (ZMG), was thrown out of the Party for resisting investigation, buying gifts with public funds, taking bribes and inappropriate sexual relationships, discipline inspection commission, CPC of Hubei province said on Thursday.

Xunbi was put under investigation in March for "serious violation of Party discipline."

He was removed from his posts in 2014, after reportedly becoming "naked," which means moving his family and assets overseas.

"Naked officials" in China are considered a high-risk group for corruption as they can easily escape to foreign countries.

ZMG grew out of Zhiyin, (Soulmate) a magazine focused on love and relationships, based in Wuhan, capital of Hubei.

The company owns a number of spin-off magazines in addition to Zhiyin, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Also Han Xuejian, formerly Party chief of Daqing City in northeast China's Heilongjiang province and a member of the standing committee of the Party's provincial committee, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in jail for taking bribes.

Liaoyuan City Intermediate People's Court in neighbouring Jilin Province seized Han's personal assets of one million yuan (USD 145,444 ).

All money and material he received as bribes and ensuing interest were confiscated and turned over to the state treasury.

Court said, Han accepted bribes worth 16.9 million yuan either personally or through others from 1998 to 2014 and took advantage of his various posts to seek benefits for others.

The court held that the verdict was reached with the consideration that Han's penalties should be mitigated in accordance with the law, since he willingly confessed to his crimes, offered facts yet unknown to law enforcers, expressed remorse and helped recover all illicit gain.

Over a million officials of the party were punished in the anti-graft campaign initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.