Communist Party expels two former senior military officials over alleged graft
Fan Changmi was previously the political commissar for the Lanzhou Military Area Command, while Niu Zhizhong was formerly a deputy commander of the People’s Armed Police
Two former senior military officers have been expelled from the Communist Party for alleged corruption, according to state-run Xinhua.
In a statement released late on Thursday at the end of the Central Committee’s sixth plenum in Beijing, the party said Fan Changmi, former deputy political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Area Command, and Niu Zhizhong, a former deputy commander of the People’s Armed Police, were expelled over “serious discipline violations”, usually a euphemism for graft.
It said the men had been under investigation by the Central Military Commission, which oversees the armed forces.
It was the first time Niu has been confirmed as being under investigation for corruption, according to mainland media.
In January last year, the People’s Liberation Army announced that Fan was among 16 officers under investigation for graft.
The decision underscores an ongoing purge in the military by President Xi Jinping, who also chairs the commission.
