Asia-Pacific News

Former Shanghai party chief tried for corruption

Mar 27, 2008, 10:39 GMT

Beijing - The central trial in one of the worst corruption scandals in China in years has begun outside Beijing, Chinese media reported Thursday. Proceedings against Chen Liangyu, Shanghai's former Communist Party chief, who is accused of misuse of state pension money, began Tuesday before a court in Tianjin. A verdict has yet to be handed down, the reports said. Chen, the most powerful politician in Shanghai before he was ousted because of the scandal, is accused of allowing the misuse of pension funds for investments into stocks, real-estate deals and other speculative projects. He is also charged with abusing his power to help relatives and supporters and tolerating corruption. Earlier media reports put the misappropriated pension funds at 3.7 billion yuan (527 million dollars). Chen's fall was seen as a political manoeuvre by President Hu Jintao to disband the so-called Shanghai clique of his predecessor Jiang Zemin. Chen was detained in September 2006 before being expelled from the party and his government posts, which included membership in the party's politburo.

Asia-Pacific News

Former Shanghai party chief tried for corruption

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