Zhou Chunyu, former vice-governor of Anhui province, and Wang Yincheng, former president of the People's Insurance Company of China, a State-owned enterprise, have been expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from all official positions, according to an announcement released by the top anti-graft authority on Wednesday.

Zhou and Wang were announced to have been brought under investigation for suspected severe violations of Party disciplines in April and February respectively.

Zhou, 49, was said to be acting as an official and a businessman, as he was found to have been personally engaged in investment businesses for a long time, gaining huge amounts of illegal profits, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

It also said Zhou tried to hide his money in overseas banks, making him the first ministerial-level official to be accused of doing so.

Zhou refused to cooperate in the Party's investigation, the CCDI said. He is the third vice-governor to be probed by the anti-graft authorities in Anhui since last year, following Yang Zhenchao and Chen Shulong.

Zhou's illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary, it added.

Zhou had worked as a government official in Anhui since 1989. He worked as mayor and Party chief of Ma'anshan and Bengbu in Anhui from 2008 to 2016 before being elected vice-governor in September.

As former head of People's Insurance Company of China, Wang, 57, was accused of practicing "superstitious" activities - the CCDI's announcement gave no details about the activities.

Wang, who had been working in the insurance sector since 1982, was also criticized for leading an extravagant life. He had been using the company's public activity room for his exclusive use for a long time and paid his personal tourism expenditures using official funds, according to the CCDI.

Wang was also found to have traded power for money, inserted relatives into the insurance company against the rules, and allowed them to use his influence to seek profits, it said.

Wang was found to have interfered with the Party's inspections and audits, as well as resisting investigation, it added.

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