Former security chief arrested, expelled from China's Communist Party

Zhou, 71, had been one of nine members on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee before retiring in 2012, and had acquired a large amount of influence in government service in southwest China's Sichuan province, while his family amassed wealth in the oil and gas sector of the economy he administered.

The Chinese Communist Party announced the initiation of a broad corruption inquiry in July, although no specific charges were announced at the time.

Zhou is among several formerly prominent government figures to be investigated as part of President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption.

On Saturday, the prosecutor's office released a statement detailing the charges against Zhou. "The investigation found that Zhou seriously violated the party's political, organizational and confidentiality discipline. He took advantage of his posts to seek profits for others and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family," Xinhua reported. He also allegedly "leaked the party's and country's secrets" and committed adultery.

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