Guangdong's former deputy finance chief Wei Jinfeng has already been expelled from the Communist Party and sacked from his public positions, Xinhua reported yesterday, citing the provincial party's anti-graft watchdog. It said Wei began taking "massive" bribes in 1998 when he was a mid-ranking official in Guandong's finance department and continued until this year. It accused him of profiting from illegal land sales. The report said the authorities has confiscated money obtained illegally, without specifying the exact amount. The government is now seeking to prosecute him. Staff Reporter

A lawyer for disgraced former politician Bo Xilai , hired by the family to represent him, said he was unable to say whether the government would allow him to defend Bo when the case comes to trial. The government last month accused Bo of corruption and of bending the law to hush up British businessman Neil Heywood's murder. Li Xiaolin, who was also part of the legal team for Bo's wife, Gu Kailai , said he was unsure if the authorities would let him represent Chongqing's former party boss. Reuters