China's railway minister sacked for 'severe disciplinary violations'

CHINESE Railway Minister Liu Zhijun has been fired and placed under investigation by the ministry's Communist Party secretary for "severe disciplinary violations," reports London's Financial Times.


Reports have give no indication of why Mr Liu was removed by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, but criminal charges are expected shortly, says China Economic Review.


Mr Liu is the highest-ranking Chinese official to be brought under investigation since Shanghai Communist Party head Chen Liangyu was dismissed and later convicted of corruption in 2006.


Mr Liu's dismissal is likely to bring the country's railway ministry, one of the most independent, and its famous high-speed train projects under greater scrutiny.


"Public disclosure of such investigations is often the precursor for formal criminal charges," said the FT. "On the ministry's website, the page outlining its leadership structure was taken down over the weekend.


This is not the first time that Mr Liu's family has been involved in corruption probes. In 2006, his younger brother, Liu Zhixiang, who was then a senior railway official in Wuhan, received the death sentence after being convicted of trying to hire an assassin to kill a man who had informed on him. He was also accused of embezzling US$5 million. The death sentence was suspended.


Mr Liu, who has been railways minister since 2003, has overseen a massive expansion of the country's rail network for both passenger and cargo traffic. His eight-year tenure was described as an "unusually long". He is also a member of China's influential Central Committee, and the report noted that corruption investigations into high-ranking officials are said to be the result of internal political quarrels.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)