Tianjin (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Sun Zhengcai, former Chongqing Party secretary, has been formally charged with bribery and influence peddling.
Sun, 54, a member of the Politburo and a candidate to succeed President Xi Jinping, was abruptly sacked as party boss of the megacity Chongqing in July.
After coming under investigation for corruption in the run-up to the Communist Party’s leadership reshuffle in October, he was replaced by Chen Miner, a close protégé of Xi and a rising political star.
In addition of corruption charges, he was eventually accused of abuse of power and leaking state secrets. Now the Supreme People’s Procuratorate has formally charged him of bribe-taking and abuse of power.
A trial date has not yet been set but it is expected to be in Tianjin where two other party heavyweights were tried after President Xi Jinping launched his anticorruption drive.
Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and Ling Jihua, former President Hu Jintao’s right-hand man, were tried behind closed doors because of "state secrets".
