Media's heavy hints signal endgame in the pursuit of Zhou Yongkang

The Communist Party's main mouthpiece has pointed the finger at party and law enforcement officials for protecting a Sichuan billionaire who allegedly ran a mafia-type gang.

The security apparatus was the power base of Zhou Yongkang when he was in charge of law and order on the Politburo Standing Committee, the top decision-making body.

The reports signal the endgame in one of China's most significant corruption probes in decades.

ran a full page of stories yesterday promising to expose the powerful people protecting disgraced mining tycoon Liu Han and his allegedly massive crime syndicate. While it stopped short of naming Zhou, the paper said officials from the security community had made it possible for "Liu's gang" to get away with crimes.

"One of the main reasons why Liu Han's gang could expand was that some members of the local party and government and judicial officials protected them … That 'protective umbrella' will be revealed as investigations into Liu's case continue," a commentary said.

The article was published alongside a Xinhua report about the indictment of Liu and his alleged accomplices, as well as a report detailing the billionaire's alleged crimes. According to the reports, police in Hubei seized three grenades, 20 guns, 677 bullets, and 2,163 steel ball bullets since the probe into Liu began in April last year.

The opinion piece went further, saying Liu's gang went to party officials, law enforcement and the judiciary for protection.