Global Courant
BEIJING — China said Friday that a former vice governor of its central bank has been found guilty of corruption, making him the latest senior official to be punished in President Xi Jinping’s years-long crackdown.
Fan Yifei was investigated last November for “suspected breaches of discipline and law,” synonymous with alleged corruption.
In a statement on Friday, the ruling Communist Party’s internal anti-turnover organization said Fan “seriously violated his professional duties” and was suspected of taking bribes.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said Fan was dismissed from public office, his illegal income was seized and he was referred for criminal charges “in accordance with the law”.
His offenses included attending and participating in banquets, tours and golf “in violation of the rules,” attending private clubs, accepting gifts and money, and “trading power for sex,” the statement said.
It said Fan “lost his ideals and beliefs … became politically indifferent, tried to interfere with the investigation and was deeply involved in superstitious activities”.
Xi, who broke longstanding political precedent by sealing a third term as China’s leader in 2022, has made fighting corruption a central part of his decade-long reign.
More than 1.5 million civil servants have fallen into the dragnet of the campaign so far, according to official data.
Chinese authorities have portrayed the policy as a much-needed purge of state organs, but critics argue it is also a means for Xi to purge political rivals.
On Thursday, the CCDI announced seven new surveys of senior executives at state-affiliated companies in industries such as aviation, mining and power generation. AFP
