China's ex-security czar charged with corruption, power abuse

Breaking decades-old practice of not prosecuting retired top communist party leaders, China today charged its former security czar Zhou Yongkang for bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets, capping President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive against "tigers and flies".
The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) charged 73- year-old Zhou, making him the senior-most official to face trial in over three decades.
Dubbed as a security czar for holding the post of the national security chief under previous President Hu Jintao administration - the powerful post which enabled him to keep a tab on the CPC including its top brass, Zhou will face trial at a court in the neighbouring Tianjin city, about 120 km from here.

The indictment against him was filed before the Tianjin Municipal No.1 Intermediate People's Court today by top Chinese prosecution agency, Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The prosecutors accused him of taking advantage of his posts to "offer interests to others" and illegally accepted a huge amount of money and properties, the report quoted the indictment as saying.
Zhou's abuse of power resulted in grave losses of public property and interests of the country and the people. The social impact was "bad" and his act was "particularly serious," the indictment said.

He also intentionally disclosed state secrets, it said.

During his expulsion from the CPC last year, he was accused of trading power for sex and leaking secrets.
Prosecutors informed Zhou of his litigation rights, interrogated him and heard opinions of his lawyers, it said.
His trial was expected to start soon.
Observers say considering the gravity of charges, he could get suspended death sentence.
Media reports last year said Zhou was detained with his wife Jia Xiaoye.
His son Zhou Bin who was accused of making big fortune in his business was taken into custody earlier along with his Chinese-American wife Huang Wan.
A number of his close associates and officials connected to him also faced investigations.

Observers say that Zhou prosecution also breaks a well- followed convention of the CPC not to prosecute the top retired leaders and officials.
Xi, 61, broke the norm as pressed ahead with the two-year anti-corruption campaign against "tigers and flies", meaning all ranks in order to restore the sagging credibility of the party among people.