The National People's Congress yesterday formally removed Wang Lijun, the former police chief of Chongqing, as a deputy to the country's top legislature, paving the way for formal prosecution.
Xinhua reported that the NPC Standing Committee approved the move after the Standing Committee of the Chongqing People's Congress accepted Wang's resignation on Tuesday, which removes his immunity to prosecution as a member of the nation's parliament.
It is believed that the Ministry of State Security, which has been investigating Wang (pictured), will soon hand his case over to prosecutors to allow him to stand trial later.
Earlier media reports suggested that Wang would be charged with treason after his alleged attempt to defect to the US consulate in Chengdu , capital of neighbouring Sichuan province, in February.
Meanwhile, a young female prosecutor who became an icon of the sweeping triad crackdown led by former party secretary Bo Xilai , has failed to be 'elected' as a delegate to the party's national meeting that will see the once-in-a-decade transition of the party's leadership.
Yao Ning , a 34-year-old prosecutor in the case against former lawyer Li Zhuang , was among nine shortlisted candidates who failed to be chosen to join Chongqing's 42 delegates to the Communist Party's 18th National Congress to be held this year, according to cqnews.net, the official website run by the Chongqing Daily group.
A prominent Beijing-based lawyer who made his name for winning thorny criminal cases, Li was convicted and jailed for fabricating evidence while defending Gong Gangmo , a millionaire and alleged triad boss.