A National People's Congress vice-chairman, Cheng Kejie, is under investigation for alleged corruption, officials have confirmed.
Cheng is suspected of involvement in a major Guangxi bribery and smuggling scandal, over which the former vice-chairman of Guangxi's municipal Government, Xu Bingsong, was jailed for life in late August. Xu was convicted of taking bribes totalling 550,000 yuan (HK$515,000) between 1995 and 1997.
Beijing sources said Cheng was exposed when investigators were collecting evidence in the Xu case. Sources said there were allegations that Cheng might have taken bribes in return for protection of smuggling activities in Guangxi.
Cheng was also suspected of having received bribes relating to the province's key infrastructure projects. If charged, Cheng, a vice-premier-grade cadre, would be the highest leader to face prosecution for graft since the sentencing of the disgraced Beijing party boss Chen Xitong.
'Cheng has been under house arrest since late August,' an official of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee of the NPC said.
'He was not seen at Beijing's recent 50th National Day celebration on October 1, while all the other 17 NPC vice-chairmen showed up on the Gate of Heavenly Peace to view the mass parade,' the official said.