‘Tiger’ Zhou Yongkang: Did China’s former security chief murder his first wife?
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Version 0 of 1. Little is known about the exact circumstances in which Wang Shuhua was killed. What has been reported, in the Chinese media, is that she died in a road accident some time in 2000, shortly after she was divorced from her husband. And that at least one vehicle with a military licence plate may have been involved in the crash. Fourteen years later, investigators are now looking into her death. Their sudden interest has nothing to do with Ms Wang herself, it has to do with the identity of her ex-husband – once one of China’s most powerful men and now the prime target in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign. Investigators are probing the death of the first wife of Zhou Yongkang, China’s retired security czar, a source said. They are looking for evidence of foul play by Mr Zhou in the crash, the source added. This is one sign of the power struggle that has raged at the top of the Communist Party since the reins were handed to Mr Xi almost two years ago. Another indication is that Mr Xi is considering a proposal to let the 205-member Central Committee deliberate on whether to press criminal charges against Mr Zhou, 71, rather than handle his case exclusively among top leaders. This would be an unprecedented departure from the party’s usually more opaque decision making on internal discipline matters. Mr Xi and his allies are still uncertain how far they can go in their bid to eliminate the threat from a rival who once controlled China’s pervasive security apparatus, according to sources with ties to the leadership. On 29 July, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s internal watchdog, said in a terse statement that Mr Zhou is under investigation “on suspicion of grave violations of discipline,” usually an euphemism for graft. “The statement did not say he violated the law,” says Bo Zhiyue, an expert on Chinese elite politics at the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute. “If Zhou Yongkang is only found to be guilty of violating party discipline, the worst punishment would be to expel him from the party.” It is likely that Mr Zhou will be ejected from the party, according to sources. Before it moves to actually prosecute Mr Zhou, the party wants to be sure it has an iron-clad case. If a defiant Mr Zhou chooses to speak out at a trial, it could deeply embarrass the party. From his years running the security services, Mr Zhou has intimate knowledge of the affairs of current and retired leaders and their families, according to two sources with leadership ties. “Zhou knows too much,” one of the sources said. “It is a huge risk.” The Beijing Bureau of Public Security did not reply to phone calls seeking details on the police report into the crash in which Mr Zhou’s first wife died. Relatives of Wang Shuhua could not be reached. Mr Zhou has been under virtual house arrest since late last year, according to sources familiar with the investigation. There is no public information that he has been brought before a court. It is not known if he has a lawyer. He has made no public statements about the probe. And investigators have yet to produce any evidence of wrongdoing. For Mr Xi, the public move against Zhou Yongkang is the pinnacle of his campaign to bring down “tigers” and “flies,” shorthand for corrupt officials of senior and low rank, in a high-stakes war he has declared on official graft. Investigators are combing through Mr Zhou’s professional life for evidence of graft or other crimes, according to the sources. He is accused of corruption involving family members and political allies as well as accepting bribes to promote officials, the sources say. More than 300 of his relatives, political allies and business associates have been arrested, detained or questioned over the past two years, according to sources. The whereabouts of Mr Zhou and these relatives are not known and so they could not be contacted for comment. Defanging a “tiger” of Mr Zhou’s stature remains a key focus for Mr Xi. The statement on Mr Zhou coincided with an announcement that the party would meet to study “rule by law”. “They are afraid nabbing Zhou Yongkang will be perceived as the outcome of a power struggle,” says Mr Bo. “So... they also say they want to carry out the rule of law.” REUTERS |