What’s new: Ji Binchang, the former head of the political advisory body in Qingdao, Shandong province in East China, is facing criminal charges for accepting bribes over a 23-year period in official roles.
Ji, the former chairman of the Qingdao Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, faces charges of accepting a substantial quantity of bribes during his tenure in several senior positions, including vice governor of Shandong.
The 59-year-old has been prosecuted by the People's Procuratorate of Wuxi in East China’s Jiangsu province following the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision, according to a statement published by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
Background: Ji was expelled from the Communist Party and public office in July, seven months after he was placed under investigation by the country’s top graft busters.
Investigators accused Ji of accepting improper gifts and money; participating in events and trips that could affect execution of his duties; concealing personal matters in breach of organizational principles during staff recruitment; abusing power for personal gain, especially to benefit his child’s investments; engaging in corrupt deals with unlawful businessmen; and using his power to benefit others in equity and corporate financing in exchange for large sums of money.
Ji spent most of his career as an official in Shandong, serving in senior posts in the provincial government’s economic planning body and state asset administration. After a five-year stint in state-owned company Lucion Group, Ji returned to the provincial government to head the Committee of Economy and Information Technology.
In 2020, Ji was appointed vice governor of Shandong, overseeing commerce, finance and anti-smuggling. Two years later, he became the top political advisor of Qingdao city.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
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