Senior officials guilty of 'moral corruption'

Guo Yongxiang, a former senior Sichuan province official, was stripped of Party membership and expelled from public office for serious legal and disciplinary violations, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on Wednesday.

The commission found that Guo exacted profits for others by using his power, and took a great number of bribes and gifts himself or through his son. Guo was also found guilty of seeking profits for his son's businesses through his power, and of "moral corruption".

At least eight provincial-level officials including Guo have been transferred to the judicial authorities since the Party elected its new leadership in Nov 2012. Among them, five were accused of allegations including "moral corruption".

There is no official explanation for "moral corruption", but an official from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said the term means that an official has at least three mistresses, the Henan Business News reported.

Guo allegedly maintained an intimate relationship with a female official from the State-owned assets supervision and administration commission of Sichuan province, said the report, quoting an official from the commission.

Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said it's not just a moral issue for government officials to have extramarital affairs, because many of the officials help their mistresses make profits with their power.

The other four senior officials accused of "moral corruption" are: Liu Tienan, former vice-director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Ni Fake, former vice-governor of Anhui province, Ji Jianye, former mayor of Nanjing, and Chen Baihuai, former vice-chairman of Hubei province's top advisory body.

Among the eight officials, seven were also accused of seeking profits for others through their power and accepting bribes through their family members.