China's CPC expels ex-spy chief; to prosecute him for graft

China's former spy chief was today expelled from the ruling Communist Party which has sought his prosecution for corruption and abuse of power, the latest high-ranking official to face graft probe in a massive anti- corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping.
An investigation was launched into "serious disciplinary violations" of Ma Jian, the former deputy chief of the country's top intelligence agency, a statement from the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said.
Ma was also dismissed from public office.
He led counter-espionage operations at the Ministry of State Security, the vast secretive intelligence agency that monitors both citizens and foreigners in China and reportedly worked under former security czar Zhou Yangkong who is serving life sentence for abuse of power and corruption.

The investigation found Ma had "seriously violated political discipline and the code of conduct, confronted an organisational probe, as well as transferred and hid money and property related to his case," a CCDI statement said.
"He also failed to give a report on his personal information, including real estate properties, in accordance with regulations, and illicitly handled exit permits for his family," it said.

His violations also include "taking advantage of posts to seek huge benefits for the businesses of relatives... interfering with law enforcement and judicial activities and seeking benefits for others and accepting a huge amount of money and property," state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Ma's ill-gotten gains must be confiscated and his case will be transferred to the judiciary, the statement said.
His detention, which was reported in January last year, led to revelations about massive abuses of power and political jockeying within the intelligence agency.
Ma failed to "restrain himself or stop his wrongdoings even after the 18th party congress" in 2012 when Xi assumed power, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.