China investigating former Tianjin mayor for suspected graft

A former Communist Party official, who reportedly criticised President Xi Jinping's policies and was mayor of a northern Chinese city when a massive chemical explosion killed 165 people, has been placed under "coercive measures" and is being investigated for accepting bribes.
Huang Xingguo, former acting party chief and mayor of northern city of Tianjin when the explosion killed 165 people in 2015, is being probed for accepting bribes, China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said today.
Huang, 62 has been placed under "coercive measures," which may include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest, the SPP said, without mentioning the Tianjin explosions, the worst industrial accident in China.

Early this month, he was expelled from the CPC.
"Huang severely violated political discipline and the political code of conduct," the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement.
Huang made groundless criticisms of the party's key policies, sabotaged the CPC's centralisation and unity, complied with party rules in public while opposing them in private, it said.

He practiced superstitious activities, interfered in details of his case, and confronted an organisational probe, the statement said.
It outlined a litany of violations on Huang's part, including giving out positions and other favours, accepting huge bribes of property and money; conniving with relatives, allowing them to use his influence to seek profits; taking advantage of his post to seek profits for his son and others; arranging an official entourage larger than allowed; and failing to supervise people around him.

"Huang was found to have disintegrated politically, grown greedy economically and become depraved in life," it said, adding that the nature of his violations was very serious.
The statement said Huang's actions caused "very bad influence, seriously undermining the political ecosystem in Tianjin and damaging the cause of the party and its image."
His ill-gotten gains will be confiscated, and his case will be transferred to the judiciary, the statement said.
Huang is among thousands of "tigers and flies" who faced investigations for corruption in Xi's massive anti-graft drive in the past three years amid allegations that it is also being effectively used to purge the party and military of elements hostile to him as he is emerged as the most powerful leader, heading the party, the government and the military.