BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Maocai, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Shanxi Provincial People's Congress, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) over serious violations of Party discipline and laws, the top anti-graft body announced in a statement Thursday.
An investigation found that Zhang had taken advantages of his posts to benefit others in personnel promotion and arrangement and received a huge amount of money and gifts in return, said the statement by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.
Disregarding the Party discipline and laws, Zhang also took advantage of his posts in exchange for benefits from some private company owners, the statement said.
It said that Zhang violated the Party's eight-point frugality code and attended banquets that might hinder him performing his duties, in addition to receiving money and gifts.
Zhang has lost his ideals and convictions, the statement said, adding that he failed to report relevant personal information to the Party and refused to honestly confess his misconducts and suspected crimes upon inquiry.
Zhang severely violated the Party's political discipline and rules on frugality, organization, clean governance, work and life and is suspected of crimes of bribe-taking, it said.
Zhang, who showed no signs of restraint even after the 18th CPC National Congress, should be harshly punished given the severity and negative influence of his case, it said.
The statement said Zhang's illicit gains would be confiscated and the suspected crimes will be transferred to the procuratorate for further investigation and prosecution.
