Apr 10, 2013
Translated by Pang Lei

A case involving allegations of corruption against the former head of the now dismantled Ministry of Railways will soon be heard by a Beijing court.

Liu Zhijun (刘志军), who also once served as the Party Secretary of China's Railways Ministry, will be charged with accepting bribes and abusing his position, according to a report (English version here) by the Xinhua News Agency earlier this morning.

The No. 2 branch of the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate today lodged the case to the Beijing Municipal No. 2 Intermediate People's Court.

The report did not mention a trial date.

Background

Beginning in Feb 2011, with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection conducted an investigation into Liu Zhijun.

The investigation found that Liu Zhijun had abused his power to help Ding Yuxin (丁羽心) - also known as Ding Shumiao (丁书苗) - the chairwoman on Beijing Broad Union Investment Management Company (北京博宥投资管理集团公司), to make large amounts of illegal profits, this caused significant economic losses and an adverse social impact.

According to an earlier report regarding reports of an investigation into Ding Shumiao that was published on Caixin's English-language site on Jan 28, the 55 year-old Ding built her considerable fortune up from a transportation company that shipped coal in the coal-rich Shanxi province in the late 1980s.

Ding, who is also a member of the Shanxi's Provincial Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, has since built up a substantial business empire and cultivated high-level political connections.

Liu Zhijun was removed from his position as the ministry's CPC secretary on Feb 12, 2011 on suspicion of "severe disciplinary violations."

The CPC Central Committee announced the decision to expel Liu Zhijun from the party in May 2012.

Links and Sources
Xinhua News Agency: 铁道部原部长刘志军被提起公诉
Xinhua News Agency: China\'s former Railway Minister charged for bribery, abuse of power

Economic Observer Online:What Brought China\'s Railway Minister Down?