Former tobacco official expelled from CPC for suspected bribery

He Zehua, former deputy head of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, was expelled from the Communist Party of China for suspected serious violations of the disciplines and law, the country's top anti-corruption watchdogs said.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision issued the decision on its website on Thursday after placing He under investigation. The official was also a member of the administration's Leading Party Members' Group.

After the investigation, the commissions said they found He was not loyal to the Party and made efforts to resist the investigation, illegally attending banquets which used public funds and accepting banquets organized by private business owners in the tobacco industry.

The investigation also found he violated rules by seeking benefits for others in personnel appointment, and accepted money or properties.

After retirement, the commissions said, he still used the influence of his previous work posts to benefit his relatives.

His suspected violations will be transferred to prosecutors for criminal review, they added.

He was placed under investigation in January. He spent many years working in East China's Jiangsu province, and served as secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Anhui Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Bureau from 2000 to 2003.

He was appointed deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration in July 2003 and retired from the post in 2014.