2016 Year of 'Zero Tolerance' for Corruption

By Matthew Bossons, January 3, 2016

The Communist Party of China has expelled a former vice minister of environmental protection and removed him from public office after a graft investigation, according to reports.

A statement from the CPC’s Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection (CCDI) accussed Zhang Lijun (pictured above) of accepting bribes, seeking profits for others, misusing public funds and abuse of power. A number of these actions are criminal, according to the release.

The Zhang investigation started in July, according to Shanghai Daily, and he is the first senior official in the ministry to be incriminated in the graft.

The announcement from the CCDI states that Zhang "has lost his ideal, seriously violated the Party code of conduct and continued with his corrupt behavior even after the 18th CPC National Congress."

Unfortunately, Zhang was not the first CPC member to be expelled in December. Earlier in the month, Xiong Yuehui, the head of the ministry’s technological standards division, was also removed from the CPC for corruption, according to the Shanghai Daily report.

The announcement also came two days before the country’s top graft-buster revealed 37 provincial and ministerial level officials were placed under investigation for corruption. According to Xinhua, 2016 is set to be a year of “zero tolerance” for corruption.

The dishonorable rewards of Zhang’s exploits will be confiscated and his case assigned to the judicial system.

[Image via Shanghai Daily]