Ex-justice minister ousted from Party

A former official who had served as China's deputy police chief and justice minister was expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from public office over serious violations of Party discipline and laws.

The punishment of Fu Zhenghua was announced in a statement issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, China's top anti-graft watchdogs, on Thursday.

Relevant evidence and illicit gains have been transferred to prosecutors for further investigation.

Fu was deputy head of the Committee on Social and Legal Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference when the anti-graft body announced its investigation into his alleged wrongdoings last October.

Fu's investigation followed his ex-colleague, Sun Lijun, former vice-minister of public security, who was charged with taking bribes, manipulating the securities market and illegal possession of firearms by prosecutors in Changchun, Jilin province, in January.

Thursday's statement said Fu had joined Sun Lijun to form a clique for personal political gains.

Fu was also found illegally possessing and carrying firearms as well as engaging in superstitious activities for a long time. He also obstructed discipline inspections by the central authority, it said.

While improperly occupying several public houses and vehicles for personal use or the use of his family, he frequently received luxurious banquets or free travel from the people he allegedly took bribes from. He allegedly took advantage of his position or power to seek profits for others and then accepted windfalls by the way of properties in return, it added.

Fu, 66, spent a lot of his career in the public security system in Beijing. He rose to prominence for leading the crackdown on the sex trade in the city before he was promoted to deputy head of the Ministry of Public Security in 2013.

He was justice minister from 2018 to 2020 and later assumed his post at the National Committee of the CPPCC.