Chinese prosecutors said Tuesday a former top Communist Party official will face a criminal investigation over allegations he accepted bribes.
The development comes a day after the official, Su Rong, was expelled from the party and stripped of all his government positions, becoming the latest high-ranking official to be brought down by President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive.
Su was a former party leader in Jiangxi Province and the vice chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Congress, the country's top political advisory body.
On Monday, the Communist Party's internal graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said it found Su "accepted huge bribes" in return for granting government positions.
"As a senior CPC official, Su defied the Party's political rules, seriously violated organizational discipline and was involved in dealing out official positions, which had a vile impact on ranks of cadres and social ethos," said the statement.
The Supreme People's Protectorate, which on Tuesday announced the criminal investigation, did not mention any specific charges Su may face. But the official Xinhua news agency reported the SPP has taken "coercive measures" against him.
President Xi has been waging a sweeping campaign against endemic corruption, warning that graft threatens the rule of the Communist Party. At least 70 high-ranking officials have been brought down by the campaign.
Tens of thousands of lower-ranking officials have also been disciplined for corruption. The majority of the cases have been handled by the party internally, and are not referred to prosecutors.
