China on Monday formally charged a former deputy head of its top planning agency with corruption, paving the way for his trial as the government pursues a high-profile campaign to root out graft. Liu Tienan, who was sacked in May last year and thrown out of the ruling Communist Party in August, will be the first ministerial-level official to face a probe after Xi Jinping became Communist Party head in late 2012 and announced a crackdown on corruption. The case came to light after Luo Changping, deputy editor-in-chief of investigative magazine Caijing, posted accusations of Liu's involvement in illegal activities on his microblog. Liu is accused of abusing his government positions and taking bribes, China's state prosecutor said in a statement. Source: Reuters
