Disgraced former Shenzhen mayor Xu Zongheng has been stripped of his Communist Party membership and official position, paving the way for his prosecution.
The party's anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, completed the official procedures yesterday to remove Xu from the mayoralty and the party for 'severe violations of discipline and the law', Xinhua reported.
An investigation by the watchdog found Xu had abused his office to make profits for others, accepted large amounts of money in return and had led a 'corrupt life'. Xu's illegal earnings would be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary for prosecution, it said.
Xu, who became Shenzhen's mayor in 2005, was stripped of his post as a deputy to the National People's Congress, the country's legislature, a year ago.
His downfall came after Guangdong's former top political adviser, Chen Shaoji, was detained in April last year in an anti-corruption crackdown. Former top graft buster Wang Huayuan and the head of the provincial labour and social security department, Liu Youjun, were also toppled. Chen received a suspended death sentence last month.
More than 100 senior Guangdong officials have been questioned by the watchdog, and senior officials and police officers from cities including Maoming, Foshan, Shanwei and Shantou have been detained or investigated.