Ling Jihua

Prosecutors have ended a lengthy corruption probe of a former State-level official and formally charged him, the top procuratorate said on Friday.

Ling Jihua, former vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, is charged with taking bribes, illegally obtaining State secrets and abusing power, according to a statement from the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Ling was director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee between 2007 and 2012. He later served as head of the CPC Central Committee's United Front Work Department before he was investigated on suspicion of graft in late 2014.

The statement said the No 1 branch of the Tianjin Municipal People's Procuratorate, an authority designated by the SPP to exercise jurisdiction over the case, has filed criminal charges against Ling at the No 1 Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin.

Ling has been accused of taking "a huge amount" of bribes and taking advantage of his posts to seek profit for others. He also illegally obtained State secrets and abused his power, causing "great damage" to public property and national interests, the SPP said.

"Prosecutors have informed Ling about his legal rights in accordance with the law, questioned him and heard representations from his lawyer," said the statement.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced its investigation of Ling in December 2014. In July last year, the CPC Central Committee expelled him from the Party and removed him from all public offices.