BEIJING, (Reuters) – China formally charged former railways minister Liu Zhijun with corruption and abuse of power yesterday, state media said, the latest step in a graft investigation into the scandal-plagued railways.
Liu faces either a lengthy jail sentence or possibly death. How severely he is dealt with will be an indicator of how seriously new Chinese President Xi Jinping Xi takes his fight on corruption, one of the pillars of his new administration
Liu “practiced favouritism and carried out malpractice, misused his power and caused big losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people”, the official Xinhua news agency said.
“The second intermediate Beijing court has already accepted the bribery and misuse of power case in accordance with the law and will chose a date for a trial,” the news agency said.
