Ex-deputy energy head expelled from Party

A former deputy head of the National Energy Administration, Liu Baohua, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from his position for serious violations of Party disciplines and national laws, the country's top anti-graft bodies said on Wednesday.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said Liu tried to obstruct investigations, accepted gifts and money sent by others, failed to report personal matters truthfully, and illegally intervened in the market and economic activities to make money.

Liu also made use of his position to assist others in company operations and project undertakings. In return, he accepted huge amounts of property.

His behaviors had seriously violated Party disciplines and constituted a serious violation of official duties. Liu's alleged crimes and confiscated illegal gains will be transferred to the procuratorial organs for examination and prosecution, the anti-graft bodies said.

Liu, 58, a native of Hebei province, started working in 1984 and joined the Party a year later.

He became head of the administration's market regulation division in 2013 and was appointed deputy head of the administration in 2017.Liu was put under investigation in October.

A statement issued by the CCDI on Wednesday said five officials at the provincial or ministerial level, 715 officials at the prefecture level and 5,000 at the county level were punished by discipline inspection and supervisory agencies across China in the first quarter of the year.

A total of 116,000 people received punishment in that period, including 98,000 who faced Party disciplinary punishment, the statement said.

It said discipline inspection and supervisory authorities nationwide received 837,000 complaints and tips, handled 440,000 pieces of evidence related to violations, and launched investigations into 135,000 cases.