Shamed former railways minister Liu Zhijun tried to bribe his way to power
Attempt by former railways chief Liu Zhijun to buy promotion is revealed as woman believed to be his secret financier appears in Beijing court
New details have emerged about how disgraced railways chief Liu Zhijun tried to bribe his way up the ladder with the help of a female intermediary to become a state leader.
The revelations appeared in an early draft of the court indictment against Liu, who was convicted of corruption and handed a suspended death sentence in July. The details were left out of the final draft and not publicised.
Liu had set his sights on being a state councillor or vice-premier, one rank higher than his ministerial position.
The document gives a rare glimpse into rampant money-for-power deals on the mainland. It is the first time an official at such a senior level has confessed to trying to further his career through bribery.
It also raises questions about who Liu tried to bribe, given that he was already a powerful politician and that only a handful of people could have helped him.
The revelations emerged yesterday as Ding Shumiao - a businesswoman who was widely believed to be Liu's secret financier - went on trial for bribery and illegal business gains involving more than 2 billion yuan (HK$2.5 billion).