Lovers 'bring down' Chinese boss

Eleven former mistresses of a senior Chinese official have accused him of corruption, state media say.

They say the lovers of Pang Jiayu from the central Shaanxi province joined forces after some of their husbands had been sentenced to death for corruption.

They say Mr Pang, 63, seduced the wives of his subordinates, and in return helped their husbands make money by giving them big financial projects.

He has already been sacked and placed under investigation for corruption.

'Pretty and young'

Mr Pang was a Communist Party boss of Baoji city in Shaanxi and also vice-chairman of the provincial assembly until 2006.

[Mr] Pang did not expect that he would be brought down by his own 11 mistresses People's Daily newspaper

Using his influential position, he had made several women - mostly "pretty and young wives" of his junior colleagues - to be his mistresses, the People's Daily newspaper said.

It said that in return he had helped them "make big money" by giving them lucrative government projects.

The husband of one of the mistresses has been executed for running a corrupt investment scheme set up by Mr Pang.

"Pang did not expect that he would be brought down by his own 11 mistresses," the newspaper said.

This is the latest row to hit the ruling Communist Party.

Senior party official Duan Yihe was executed on Wednesday for murdering his mistress with explosives planted in her car.

Earlier this week, state media reported that some 90% of China's most senior officials convicted of corruption since 2003 had kept mistresses.