BEIJING - A former senior official in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and removed from public office following a graft investigation.

The probe revealed that Zhu Zuoli, former vice chairman of Shaanxi provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, abused power to seek profits for others and accepted "a huge amount in bribes" himself or via his son, according to a statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Zhu seriously violated CPC discipline and is suspected of committing crimes, the statement said.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate later announced that it will continue to investigate Zhu's case.