The former head of the discipline inspection and supervision team of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection stationed in the Central Organization Department of the Communist Party of China, Li Gang, has been arrested. Half a month ago, he was placed under “double designation” and transferred to the judiciary. On April 22, the news of “Li Gang’s arrest” unexpectedly surged to the top of the hot search list.
On April 22, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the Communist Party of China issued a notification stating that Li Gang was suspected of bribery and has been transferred to the procuratorial organs for review and prosecution. Recently, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate made the decision to arrest Li Gang on suspicion of bribery.
Out of the 15 senior government officials investigated and dealt with this year (officials managed by the Central Organization Department of the CPC), 14 have been arrested. Besides Li Gang, others include Li Shisong, Xu Zuo, Li Weiwei, Luo Baoming, Tan Ruisong, Cao Xingxin, Du Yubo, Yang Fasen, Qi Tongsheng, Sun Yunning, Cui Baohua, Chen Xiaobo, and Liu Mancang.
Public records show that Li Gang, aged 60, worked in Sichuan Province for 38 years. In February 2011, the 46-year-old Li Gang was appointed as the Secretary of the Bazhong Municipal Party Committee, and after serving in that position for 5 years, he was transferred to the position of Secretary of the Zigong Municipal Party Committee in April 2016. In 2020, he was appointed as the Vice Governor and Party Member of the Sichuan Provincial Government, and a year later, he was appointed as a member of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department.
In September 2023, Li Gang was transferred to Beijing and subsequently served as the head of the discipline inspection and supervision team stationed in the Central Organization Department of the Communist Party of China. Just 9 months after taking office, Li Gang was officially announced to have fallen from grace on September 30, 2024, and “double designated” on April 7 this year.
According to the notification, Li Gang engaged in speculation and colluded with “political fraudsters”, resisted investigation, accepted banquet invitations that could affect the fair execution of official duties, failed to report relevant personal matters as required, sought benefits for others in cadre selection and appointment processes, engaged in profit-making activities in violation of regulations, and used public power as a tool to seek personal gain, extensively collecting money and profiting from enterprise operations, project contracts, and job adjustments for others, and unlawfully accepting huge sums of money.
According to previous reports by Epoch Times, columnist Yue Shan stated that Li Gang being investigated after only 9 months in office is a slap in the face to Li Xi, the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC. This not only indicates that there are no honest officials in the Communist Party but also highlights Li Xi’s poor judgment in personnel matters.