Former party boss said to have told investigators about alleged wrongdoings of other cadres in the megacity</s>The southwestern Chinese megalopolis of Chongqing said Saturday it will purge the “vile influence” of former top official Sun Zhengcai after he was expelled from the Communist Party for corruption.

Sun, once considered a contender for top leadership, was party chief of the city until it was abruptly announced in July that he had been replaced by a rising political star close to President Xi Jinping, Chen Miner. He was put under investigation later in July.

On Friday, the party announced he would be prosecuted for corruption, accusing him of leaking secrets, bribery and abusing his power.

In a front-page story on Saturday, the official Chongqing Daily said a city party meeting overseen by Chen had offered strong support for the Sun decision, which comes just weeks before the party opens a key twice-a-decade congress.

“Everyone said they resolutely uphold the party’s decision, resolutely practice the party’s spirit and will resolutely purge Sun Zhengcai’s vile influence,” the paper said.

“The party’s decision to investigate and handle Sun Zhengcai’s serious breach of discipline is completely correct, absolutely brilliant, came just at the right time and has completely won the hearts of the party, the military and the people.”

It has not been possible to reach Sun directly for comment and unclear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer.

He is certain to be found guilty when his case comes before a court; the party controls the legal system. The accusations include sloth and trading power for sex.

Chongqing, one of China’s most important cities, is perhaps best known for its association with former party boss Bo Xilai, who was once a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in his own dramatic corruption scandal.

The government has yet to give exact details of what Sun is suspected of.

The official newspaper of the northeastern province of Jilin, where Sun was party chief from 2009 until late 2012, implied on Saturday at least some of his crimes took place there too.

“While in Jilin he neglected Jilin’s development, put his undivided attention on promotion, and seriously damaged Jilin’s political ecology,” the paper said, summarizing a provincial party meeting to condemn him.

Sun had been seen as a potential candidate for elevation at the party congress and as a possible future premier.

But sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say Sun had been out of favor after the party’s corruption watchdog in February criticized Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo’s influence.

Sun is the latest senior official to be investigated under Xi’s sweeping crackdown on corruption.

The party’s official People’s Daily said on Saturday the move against Sun augured further struggles ahead, saying major victories did not mean the anti-corruption fight is over.</s>The former Communist Party boss of one of China's most important cities, the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing, has been expelled from the party and will be prosecuted for corruption, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday.

BEIJING: China will prosecute the "degenerate" former top official of one of China's most important cities, the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing, for leaking secrets, bribery and abuse of power, state media said on Friday.

Sun Zhengcai, a senior official once considered a contender for top leadership, had been Communist Party chief of the city until an abrupt announcement in July that he had been replaced by a rising political star close to President Xi Jinping.

He was put under investigation later in July.

Chongqing is perhaps best known outside China for its association with its disgraced former party boss, Bo Xilai, who was once himself a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal.

In a brief report, the official Xinhua news agency said a party investigation found that Sun had "abandoned the party's aims" and "seriously trampled upon the party's political discipline".

He leaked party secrets, abused his power to seek advantage for others, took expensive gifts and exchanged power for sex, Xinhua said.

Sun "seriously contravened discipline in life, became corrupt and degenerate", it added. He was also "lazy and inactive".

Sun betrayed the trust put in him by the party and the people, caused huge losses for Chinese companies and had a "very malign impact upon society", Xinhua said.

He has been expelled from the party and his case will be handed over to legal authorities, it added, meaning he will be prosecuted.

Xinhua did not give any further details of the crimes he is suspected of.

It was not possible to reach Sun directly for comment and unclear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer.

Chinese courts are controlled by the party and will not challenge the accusations levelled against him, meaning he will almost certainly be found guilty when his case comes to trial, which could still be several months away.

Sun had been seen as a potential candidate for elevation at next month's key party Congress and as a possible future premier.

But sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say Sun had been out of favour after the party's corruption watchdog in February criticised Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo's influence.

At that meeting, Sun said he accepted the watchdog's assessment "without question", according to a party statement at the time.

Sun was unceremoniously replaced in Chongqing by Chen Miner, who days after taking up the post demanded officials banish the "evil legacy" of Bo.

Chen is a rising political star close to Xi, and is seen as a potential new member of the party's elite Standing Committee when it is unveiled after a reshuffle at the Congress.

Since assuming power in late 2012, Xi has pursued a relentless campaign against corruption, warning that the problem could threaten the party's ability to retain power, though some analysts say he is also taking down political rivals.</s>Former rising Chinese political star Sun Zhengcai has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and dismissed from public office amid a corruption investigation.

Sun, the former top official in the mega-city of Chongqing, is the highest-ranking serving official to be ensnared by President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign, now in its fifth year.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the party's Politburo had approved the latest actions against Sun at a meeting Friday after reviewing a report from the investigation. That comes just three weeks before a major party congress held once every five years.

The moves clear the way for Sun to be prosecuted, with a guilty verdict all but certain. The party has said only that Sun is accused of "serious violations of discipline," shorthand for corruption.
Reverberations from the Sun Zhengcai case are said to have ensnared a number of senior officials from Chongqing, including former Organization Department head Zeng Qinghong (female). 14 out of 43 delegates to the 19th Party Congress from Chongqing are said to have lost their eligibility.