China to prosecute former top general

Beijing, Jan 9 : One of Chinas top military officials, Fang Fenghui, will be prosecuted for taking and receiving bribes, the state media reported on Tuesday.

Fang and his colleague General Zhang Yang, who committed suicide at his Beijing home in November, were being investigated on charges of corruption.

Fang’s case has been handed over to the People Liberation Army’s criminal prosecution body, Xinhua news agency said without giving further details.

Fang, who was a former chief at the Joint Staff Department in China’s military, is the latest “tiger” to be tried under the anti-corruption drive launched by President Xi Jinping.

Xi has vowed to rid the nation of “tigers” – top politicians – and “flies” – underlings” involved in corruption.

“Fang has close links to Zhang’s superiors and subordinates because they were both protégés of disgraced former CMC Vice Chairmen Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, with Fang being the most skilful opportunist, closely following Guo,” a source close to the military told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

“The investigation of Fang was announced so late because of the sudden suicide of Zhang. In order to decrease the impact of Zhang’s death to the Army’s morale, Fang’s case was put aside a while until now.”

According to the Post, the source said Zhang hanged himself one hour before investigators came to his home to formally detain him.

IANS