Chairman of one of China's biggest car makers 'under investigation in graft probe'
Carmaker's chief held after party graft-busters uncover corruption in sweep over the summer
The chairman of state-owned carmaker FAW Group, Xu Jianyi , was detained in the country's sweeping crackdown on graft, the Communist Party's anti-corruption agency said on Sunday.
Xu, 61, who oversees the carmaker based in Jilin that produces the famed Red Flag limousines and has joint ventures with Volkswagen and Toyota in China, was investigated for "suspected serious violations of party discipline and law", according to a brief statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Xu was the second national legislator snared on the closing day of the annual parliamentary sessions. The announcement came after Yunnan deputy provincial party chief Qiu He , was also confirmed to be under investigation. The probes into Xu and Qiu follow a pledge by the CCDI to step up its fight against corruption in state enterprises.
Chief graft-buster Wang Qishan announced early this year that the first round of inspections for 2015 would focus on 26 top SOEs, including key players in oil and energy, electricity, telecoms, transport, materials and minerals, and construction.
After CCDI inspectors toured FAW last summer, the inspection team chief Zhu Baocheng said many corrupt practices were uncovered in the company's sales and logistics departments, a claim Xu did not deny.