Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Former Hu Jintao aide charged with corruption

BEIJING — China’s state prosecutor yesterday formally charged a former senior aide to retired President Hu Jintao with taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power.

The charges brought against Ling Jihua (bottom row, left), a former aide to retired president Hu Jintao (top row, centre), yesterday come amid Mr Xi Jinping’s (top row, right) corruption crackdown. Photo: Reuters

The charges brought against Ling Jihua (bottom row, left), a former aide to retired president Hu Jintao (top row, centre), yesterday come amid Mr Xi Jinping’s (top row, right) corruption crackdown. Photo: Reuters

BEIJING — China’s state prosecutor yesterday formally charged a former senior aide to retired President Hu Jintao with taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power.

The ruling Communist Party announced an investigation into Ling Jihua in December 2014. He was demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job months after his son reportedly died at the wheel of a crashed Ferrari with two nude or half-dressed women as passengers. Ling was accused in unconfirmed overseas media reports of covering up the affair.

The charges are the latest development in a case that the ruling party has said did major damage to its image.

Ling used his many high-ranking positions in government as a way to solicit bribes, seek favours for friends and illegally obtain state secrets, said the prosecutor, without specifying the nature of the secrets.

The circumstances were “extremely serious”, added the prosecutor in a terse statement, which was also read out on state television.

Ling’s case was lodged at a court in the port city of Tianjin, not far from Beijing, meaning he will be tried there.

It has not been possible to reach Ling for comment and it is not clear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer.

Ling’s case has presented a dilemma for the government. His position is sensitive because of his close connection with Mr Hu, President Xi Jinping’s predecessor.

Mr Hu, who stepped down as President in 2013, is rarely seen in public and does not appear to wield the same degree of behind-the-scenes influence as other former leaders.

A government spokesman denied last year that Mr Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources have told Reuters that the former president approved of it.

The charges pave the way for a criminal trial, but because Ling is accused of stealing state secrets, the proceedings may be closed to the public.

It is also unclear when a trial may commence. If it is held in secret, state media could announce a verdict.

The government said last July it would prosecute Ling, and that he had been expelled from the Communist Party.

Yesterday’s reports made no mention of Ling’s brother, Ling Wancheng, who is believed to live in the United States and is being sought by China’s top anti-corruption agency. A number of other Ling relatives and associates have also been detained.

Mr Ling Wancheng is believed to hold sensitive information about China’s leadership and could deliver an intelligence windfall should he defect. Speculation has been rife over whether Ling Jihua’s fate might be tied to his brother’s possible cooperation with the Chinese authorities, although no connection has ever been established.

Since taking power in 2012, Mr Xi has made tackling corruption a cornerstone of his administration, waging a far-reaching campaign that has felled many opponents, including the once-powerful domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang. Zhou was also tried in Tianjin. AGENCIES

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.