Two more associates of ex-security tsar Zhou Yongkang detained in graft probes
Chengdu cadre, CNPC manager the latest held, with analysts saying it indicates authorities are still building a case against ex-security tsar
Two more associates of retired security tsar Zhou Yongkang have been placed under investigation, suggesting authorities are still collecting evidence in their case against him.
Zhao Miao, head of the Communist Party's organisation department in Chengdu, Sichuan, was suspected of "serious violations of discipline" - a phrase associated with corruption - the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced yesterday. The department is in charge of appointing cadres in the city.
The two are the latest in a string of officials - all with ties to Zhou - to come under investigation as part of a crackdown on corruption that is expected to ultimately target the retired leader.
Zhao, 55, was taken away by discipline supervisors on Thursday and authorities were forced to hastily cancel a public event he was scheduled to attend the next day, the 21st Century Business Herald reported.
Zhang Lifan, a political analyst in Beijing, said Zhao's detention indicated authorities were still building a case against Zhou. "It's very likely that the investigation against Zhou is still inadequate, or is facing obstruction," he said. "Why hasn't his case been made public after so long? A power struggle might be one reason, and the other could be insufficient evidence."