Former rising political star Su Shulin investigated over alleged corruption while at Chinese oil giant Sinopec

Fujian governor Su Shulin, once a rising political star and top executive in China's graft-ridden oil sector, is being investigated on suspicion of corruption during his tenure as the head of a state-owned oil giant.

The investigation is related to problems found by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Communist Party's graft watchdog, at Sinopec in November, a source said.

Su was the general manager of Sinopec, China's largest oil refiner, from 2007 to 2011 before becoming a top Fujian official.

Inspectors found Su, 53, had helped a relative's company secure Sinopec's oil depot project in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Hainan province. The company then outsourced the project to a Sinopec subsidiary for a profit, mainland media outlet Caixin reported.

Sinopec had also paid for Su's wife to go on shopping trips to Hong Kong, inspectors found.

Read more: Governor of China's Fujian province under investigation by anti-corruption watchdog

Su's career spans more than two decades in the oil sector, among the hardest hit by the anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping almost three years ago.