Sichuan official highest casualty of graft drive: report (3)

Four officials in Chongqing, Guangdong and Shandong were also put under investigation by the end of November by local disciplinary commissions, according to media reports.

Jiang said those investigations echoed the spirit of the congress and Xi's words: "Corruption, if not well dealt with, could destroy the Party and the country."

Lei Zhengfu, former Party chief of Beibei district in Chongqing was removed from his post within 71 hours of his sex tape being exposed online.

"The fact that the government could respond so fast, while Web users were still guessing, showed a surprising level of progress. The authorities were really able to work with the public," Zhu Ruifeng, a citizen journalist who has been working on exposing corrupt officials' scandals, told the Global Times.

Zhu said that when scandals involving officials such as Bo first broke out, many people lost faith in the government.

"But once these officials are seriously punished, not only do more people regain trust in the government and Party, but other officials are also deterred," said Zhu.