Former publicity official pleads guilty to taking bribe

Hebei's ex-senior political adviser expelled from Party

Ai Wenli, former vice chairman of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China over serious violations of discipline and allegations of accepting bribes.

Ai's expulsion from the CPC has been approved by the CPC Central Committee, according to a statement by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on Friday.

Ai had failed to report personal matters to authorities and violated the Party's frugality code by accepting gifts and money from illicit businessmen, according to investigation.

He had engaged in profit-driven activities against the rule, ganged up with his family members to illegally rake in property and ordered others to buy him housing in Beijing.

He was also found to have taken advantage of his position to seek benefits for others and accept huge amounts of money and gifts, and was thus suspected of taking bribes, according to the statement.

As a senior cadre of the CPC, Ai had lost his ideals and convictions, deviated from the Party's purpose, and lost sight of morality, law and discipline, the statement said.

Willing to be "hunted", he had turned public power into means to seek personal benefits, and seriously violated the Party's discipline and law, it said.

Based on laws and regulations as well as the CPC Central Committee's approval, the CCDI decided to expel Ai from the CPC, cancel his benefits, confiscate his illicit gains and transfer his case of suspected property crimes to the procuratorate for further examination and prosecution.