BEIJING, April 13 -- Ren Runhou, former vice governor of north China's Shanxi Province, who passed away while under investigation by the Communist Party of China (CPC), has been stripped of his Party membership for corruption, said the CPC discipline agency Monday.

The internal investigation found evidence to suggest that Ren accepted cash gifts, embezzled public funds, accepted bribes to seek promotions for others, as well as accepted and distributed bribes, said a statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

"As a senior Party cadre, Ren seriously violated Party discipline regulations and law, and the nature [of his case] is vile and the circumstances grave," the statement said.

While his illegal gains have been confiscated, the gains from his suspected embezzlement, and bribery will be transferred to judicial organs to be handled, according to the CCDI.

Ren was put under investigation by the CPC anti-graft authority in August 2014.