Three former officials face corruption charges

Prosecutors say bribery tainted 2013 election in Liaoning province

Three former provincial-level officials are being prosecuted on corruption charges ranging from bribery to sabotaging elections, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Tuesday.

Liu Qiang, former vice-governor of Liaoning province, has been charged with accepting bribes and damaging an election by Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate No 3 Branch.

The SPP said prosecutors filed the case in Beijing Municipal No 3 Intermediate People's Court for a later hearing.

According to the indictment, Liu used his influence to ask other officials to provided benefits to individuals and enterprises, then accepted huge bribes from them either paid in cash or property.

In addition, he is accused of taking advantage of his position to interfere with the election of provincial lawmakers. Between 1999 and November 2017, he served as the general manager of PetroChina Co Limited Fushun Branch in Liaoning; mayor in Fushun city; Party chief of Fushun; and vice-governor of Liaoning.

The election scandal was exposed in September 2016. Liaoning authorities claimed that 45 people elected to serve as deputies to the National People's Congress and 523 deputies to the provincial congress were involved in buying votes in the 2013 election, making it the first case of its kind to take place at the provincial level since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.

In March 2017, the Standing Committee of the NPC disqualified 45 deputies elected from the Liaoning People's Congress for buying votes in 2013.

Another 523 deputies to the provincial congress resigned or were disqualified, the NPC said.

In March 2017, 41 people involved in election fraud stood trial in 15 intermediate courts in Liaoning and were handed various prison terms. Ji Xiangqi, former vice-governor of Shandong province, has been charged with bribery and corruption by the Jinzhong people's procuratorate in Shanxi province.

Prosecutors said that when Ji served as president of Lushang Group, chairman of the World Trade Center and vice-governor in Shandong, he abused power to benefit others and took huge bribes.

He was also accused of using his position to illegally obtain large amounts of public money and property.

In other action, Li Yihuang, former vice-governor of Jiangxi province, is being prosecuted on charges of bribery, corruption and embezzlement of public funds by the Anqing people's procuratorate in Anhui province.

The procuratorate filed the case in Anqing Intermediate People's Court. The case will be heard in coming months.

According to the indictment, Li abused power to gain benefits for individuals or enterprises and accepted large amounts of bribes from them.

In addition, he allegedly obtained public property, embezzled public funds for private use and engaged in profit-earning activities. Li was also accused of abuse of power that caused great losses to State-owned companies.

"Prosecutors informed the suspects of their legal rights and listened carefully to their lawyers' defense statements to protect their rights," according to a statement from the SPP on Tuesday.