Hubei deputy governor stripped of party membership over bribery, abuse of power

China’s central commission has stripped an ex-Hubei deputy governor of his party membership amid an investigation into his alleged corrupt activities and extramarital affairs.

Guo Youming, 57, has been under investigation for “serious violation of laws and disciplines”, a term for corruption, since November.

The mainland’s anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said in a statement today that Guo had taken advantage of his positions to secure perks for his connections. He and his relatives also received large amounts of bribes, it said.

Guo was also accused of immorality, a term typically indicating extramarital affairs.

His illegal earnings will be confiscated and judicial departments will take over his case and the evidence, the CCDI statement said.

Scores of senior officials have been disgraced since President Xi Jinping launched an anti-corruption campaign in 2012.

Guo, a Hubei native, worked in the province’s water conservancies for nearly two decades from 1982 after earning a degree in agricultural irrigation.