Former senior municipal political advisor in NE China expelled from CPC, public office

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Hao Hongjun, a former senior municipal political advisor for Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office over serious violations of discipline and law.

The punishment was announced in an official statement by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision on Thursday.

Hao was a former chairman of the Dalian Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

An investigation of Hao's case found that he had been involved in superstitious activities, defied the Party's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct and violated relevant rules to visit private luxury venues. He had accepted private enterprise owners' travel invitations in violation of relevant rules.

The statement accused Hao of keeping vehicles of people under his jurisdiction for a long time, and failing to report his personal information in accordance with the rules.

He had been uncooperative and unfaithful in the investigation of his case, and had sought benefits for others in selection and appointment of officials, the statement said.

Also, the statement said Hao showed no sense of discipline, unscrupulously accpeting others' money and gifts and taking advantage of his posts to seek benefits for his family members' business activities.

He had taken the power entrusted by the Party and the people as an instrument to seek his own interests, the statement said, adding that he was also found to have intervened in the handling of some cases involving others' violations of discipline and law, seriously undermining the image of discipline inspection and supervision officials.

Other violations of Hao included collusion with some lawless private business owners, involving in power-for-money trades and taking advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others and accepting huge amount of money and gifts in return.

The statement said Hao's case will be transferred to prosecutors for review and prosecution procedures, his illegal gains will be confiscated and his qualification as a delegate to the CPC Liaoning provincial congress was also terminated.