Lyu Xiwen, Beijing's former deputy Party chief and the first high-ranking official placed under investigation in the capital, has been expelled from the Party and removed from her post for serious violations of discipline, authorities said on Tuesday.

Lyu, born in 1955, ranked third in the Party's Beijing Committee after the capital's Party chief, Guo Jinlong, and its mayor, Wang Anshun. She is the third high-ranking female official to be investigated for alleged graft issues since the 18th Party Congress in 2012, when the new leadership took office.

According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top graft-buster, Lyu seriously violated political disciplines to breach the central authority's guiding principles and major policies, and she formed cliques to go against the Party's censorship.

The CCDI said she was suspected of illegally selecting and appointing Party officials and interfering in personnel arrangements. She allegedly used her position to gain benefits for family members in their business projects, and is suspected of abusing her power to benefit other enterprises and accepting huge bribes.

In addition, she was accused of intervening in market economic activities and law enforcement actions. She also violated Party disciplines by living a luxurious lifestyle and frequenting private clubs and entertainment venues, the commission said.

The watchdog said it will transfer evidence in the case to the Supreme People's Procuratorate for further investigation. In November, Lyu was put under investigation by the commission for suspected "serious disciplinary violation". Beijing is the last provincial-level region on the Chinese mainland to investigate allegedly corrupt top officials since the 18th Party Congress.

In another development, Zhang Lebin, former deputy head of the National Bureau of Religious Affairs, has been investigated for serious discipline violation, the commission said on Tuesday.

Zhang is suspected of seriously violating political and Party disciplines to form cliques, abusing his power to gain benefits for others and accepting bribes, it said.

Zhang has been expelled from the Party and removed from his post, the watchdog added, and evidence in his case will be transferred to judicial authorities for further investigation.

zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn