Former Politburo member and Xinjiang Communist Party chief Ma Xingrui has been indicted on bribery charges that trace back to the late 1990s, state media reported on Thursday. Ma, 67, is one of the 24 members of the party’s highest decision-making bodies and stands as the fourth Politburo member to face corruption charges since President Xi Jinping took power in late 2012.
The Supreme People’s Procuratorate approved Ma’s arrest and designated a municipal People’s Procuratorate in Yichang city, Hubei province, to manage his prosecution. According to state broadcaster CCTV, local prosecutors recently filed bribery charges against Ma in the Yichang Intermediate People’s Court.
Ma’s career began as an aerospace engineer before he rose through China’s space programme. He served as the party chief of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), mayor of Shenzhen, governor of Guangdong province, and party chief of the Xinjiang region.
The bribery charges originate from Ma’s tenure at CASC starting in 1999, during which he served as deputy general manager, general manager, and party chief. CCTV reported that the charges also cover his political roles in Shenzhen, his leadership in Guangdong province, and his time as a Politburo member. During these periods, Ma allegedly took advantage of his position, “sought benefits for others,” and “illegally accepted money and valuables worth an exceptionally large amount.”
Ma was placed under investigation for corruption in April. In July, he was dismissed from public office, stripped of his party membership, and accused of “improperly accepting gifts and money, helping relatives buy houses at discounted prices,” and engaging in “power-for-sex and money-for-sex transactions.”
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) stated in July that Ma had “lost his ideals and beliefs,” abandoned “his political conviction,” and “seriously violated [the party’s] political discipline and rules.” The CCDI further claimed Ma allowed his relatives to profit from his influence, “fostering rampant corruption across his family.”
CCTV reported on Monday that Guo Yonghang, a former top Guangdong official widely seen as Ma’s “right-hand man,” has also been dismissed from the party and public office for suspected bribery and other crimes. Guo served as vice-chairman of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference before being put under investigation in March. He was Ma’s top aide while Ma served as party secretary of Shenzhen from 2015 to 2016.
