Officials punished for providing criminals 'protective umbrella'

Thirty-one officials in Central China have been punished for shielding a criminal organization allegedly led by a local businessman who was linked to the suicide of a hospital president in January.

A former political adviser and village police chief were among the government and Party officials who had for years acted as a protective umbrella for the gang in Langfang, Hebei province, anti-graft authorities said.

Most have been expelled from the Communist Party of China, with the rest receiving a serious warning, according to a joint statement on Monday from the Hebei Commission for Discipline Inspection and its Supervisory Commission.