Former Sichuan vice-governor indicted for bribery

Ye Hanbing, former vice-governor of Sichuan province, as well as former head of the provincial public security department, has been indicted on bribery charges, China's top procuratorate said on Tuesday.

According to the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the case was concluded by the National Commission of Supervision and transferred to procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution.

The SPP said it had made an arrest decision against Ye on suspicion of taking bribes and designated the Fifth Branch of the Chongqing People's Procuratorate to examine and prosecute the case. The Fifth Branch of the Chongqing People's Procuratorate has recently filed a public prosecution with the Chongqing No 5 Intermediate People's Court.

The prosecution alleged that Ye took advantage of his former positions, including head of the public security administration corps under the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department, head of the Wenzhou public security bureau in Zhejiang, deputy head of the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department, head of the Hangzhou public security bureau in Zhejiang, and vice-governor of Sichuan province as well as head of the provincial public security department, to seek benefits for others and illegally accept money and valuables. The amount involved was especially huge, and he should be held criminally liable for bribery, prosecutors said.

Ye, 60, is a native of Zhejiang province. He began working in 1982 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1985. He worked in the public security system for many years, becoming head of the public security administration corps of the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department in July 2000, head of the Wenzhou public security bureau in March 2009, deputy head of the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department in January 2012, and head of the Hangzhou public security bureau in 2014.

In 2018, he was appointed vice-governor of Sichuan province and head of the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department. He remained in those roles until May 2025, when he was placed under investigation. He was expelled from the Party and removed from public office in November 2025.