Reuters reports that former official Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, admitted taking what military prosecutors called"massive" bribes from soldiers hoping to ensure promotions.
Xu's arrest is one of the most high-profile casesin China's war on graft, launched by President Xi Jinping in December 2012. Although President Xi promised to snare both “tigers and flies” in the operation, its 74,000-plus prosecutions have often focused on minor offences, according to the Financial Times.The Central Military Commission is in charge of the largest military in the world – with more than 2.3 million soldiers, and Xu's haul of cash and jewels had to be carted off in up to 12 truckloads.
The seizure, which took place in March but was not reported in the press until Thursday, consisted of U.S. dollars, Euros and Chinese Yuan, as well as hundreds of kilograms of gems - mostly jade – and antiques. The Chinese Phoenix magazine reported that Xu had been forced to “bow his head and admit defeat”.
According to the Chinatopix portal, Xu was stripped of all his titles and expelled from both the Chinese military and the Communist Party. Military prosecutors are also preparing documentations to court-marshal him, which could lead to a prison sentence.
