Dozens of government officials have been the subject of investigations as part of Beijing's anti-corruption crackdown. (Photo : Getty Images)
China will prosecute a former senior official in its secret police over bribery allegations, the country's state prosecutor said on Monday, taking a step that will almost certainly lead to a conviction.
Ma Jian, who once served as vice minister at the Ministry of State Security, is the highest-ranking security official to be investigated since former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang was arrested in a graft scandal and jailed for life in 2015.
Ma, who was placed under investigation in Jan. 2015, was expelled from the ruling Communist Party in December after it accused him of "abuse of power, taking bribes, and interfering in unspecified law enforcement activities," according to a report from Reuters.
In a brief statement, the state prosecutor said that it had formally started proceedings against Ma and has approved "coercive measures," a Chinese legal term that generally means imprisonment.
The statement declined to give further details.
As the party controls China's legal system, the courts are not expected to challenge its accusations, giving Ma little chance of acquittal.
It was not possible to reach Ma for comment and unclear if he has been allowed to retain legal representations.
Scores of senior government officials have been arrested and jailed since President Xi Jinping came into power four years ago, vowing to stamp out corruption that he says threatens the Communist Party's grip on power.
China's state security ministry is described as a KGB-like organization that spies on its citizens and foreigners domestically and internationally. It is one of the least transparent government agencies and does not have a public website or spokesperson.
A source with ties to the leadership has previously told Reuters that Ma was the director of the ministry's "No.8 Bureau," which is responsible for counter-espionage activities and conducting surveillance on foreigners, mainly diplomats, businessmen, and journalists.
