Central government considering setting up state-level anti-corruption institution
Nearly 100,000 members of the Communist Party were penalised for corruption last year as a result of President Hu Jintao's renewed anti-graft campaign, the party's discipline watchdog said yesterday.
Gan Yisheng , secretary-general of the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, also said the mainland was considering setting up a state-level corruption-prevention body, following years of debate about the country's need for an organisation similar to Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Mr Gan did not elaborate yesterday on how any new institution might interact with the CCDI or the judiciary.
Last year's campaign unearthed a number of high-profile cases, including political rival Chen Liangyu , a former member of the all-powerful Politburo and Shanghai party chief, and former top statistician Qiu Xiaohua , who have been accused of corruption and other wrongdoings.
Mr Gan said the case files of 3,530 members had been handed over to prosecutors, including seven officials at or above the governor and minister level.
Mr Gan said 97,260 Communist Party members were punished and that 78,980, or 81 per cent of them, 'took bribes and violated the party's financial and economic rules'. Some were found to be in dereliction of duty.