An investigation into disgraced Chongqing vice-mayor Wang Lijun is not being handled by the Communist Party's disciplinary watchdog, a top official from the agency confirmed yesterday.
The comments fuelled an earlier rumour that Wang was being investigated by the state security apparatus instead of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
'No, he does not fall under the jurisdiction [of the CCDI],' Minister of Supervision Ma Wen, who is also the commission's deputy secretary, said on the first day of the Chinese People's Political and Consultative Conference annual meeting.
Ma also said she had not received any 'official notice' on Wang's case.
The case of Wang, a former right-hand man of controversial Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai, has dominated mainland news in the past month after he was found to have spent a night at the US consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan, on February 6.
Speculation revolves around how his apparent rift with his former boss will affect the political future of Bo, a rising princeling-politician, as a top leadership reshuffle looms.
One rumour is that Wang had demanded that his actions be investigated by the Ministry of State Security rather than the disciplinary commission, in which Bo has many close allies.
