Top Chinese leader charged with leaking secrets, trading power for sex

Zhou, 72, was arrested for corruption and expelled from the ruling Communist Party of China Friday. Known as security czar, Zhou was the ninth-ranking member in a nine member CPC panel.

Zhou Yongkang, one of China's top leaders in the previous Hu Jintao's regime, has been charged with trading power for sex, adultery and leaking state secrets.

Zhou-Yongkang-reacts-as-he-attends-the-Hebei-delegation-discussion-sessions-at-the-17th-National-Congress-of-the-Communist-Party-of-China-at-the-Great-Hall-of-the-People-in-Beijing-in-this-October-16-2007-file-photo-Reuters

Zhou, 72, was arrested for corruption and expelled from the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) on Friday. Known as security czar for heading the internal security until 2012, Zhou was the ninth-ranking member in the nine member Standing Committee of the CPC headed by former President Hu Jintao.

He is the first top leader of the CPC since Mao era to face such ignominious fate. Zhou's expulsion from the CPC was according to a decision made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the party's Central Committee last night, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Besides corruption, he faces other charges, including helping mistresses and trading power for sex and money and leaking state secrets. The investigation found that Zhou seriously violated the Party's political, organisational and confidentiality discipline. He took advantage of his posts to seek profits for others and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family, a CPC statement said.

He abused his power to help relatives, mistresses and friends make huge profits from operating businesses, resulting in serious losses of state-owned assets, it said.

Zhou leaked the Party's and country's secrets. He seriously violated self-disciplinary regulations and accepted a large amount of money and properties personally and through his family.

Zhou committed adultery with a number of women and traded his power for sex and money, it said, adding that other clues of suspected crimes by Zhou were also found during the investigation.

"What Zhou did completely deviated from the Party's nature and mission, and seriously violated Party discipline. His behaviour badly undermined the reputation of the Party, significantly damaged the cause of the Party and the people, and have yielded serious consequences," the statement said. He retired after the incumbent President, Xi Jinping who was the Vice President in the previous administration took over power last year. Zhou's arrest would break the well followed convention of not to prosecute the retired leaders for the first time.