A former Chinese supreme court vice president was stripped of his membership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for corruption, the CPC disciplinary watchdog said Friday.

Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court, was also dismissed from all his official positions, said a statement from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

According to the investigations, Huang was found misusing his power to seek profits for concerned people in return for a "huge amount" of bribes, accepting money as presents illegally and living a "corrupt" life, the statement said.

His behavior violated the CPC disciplines and broke the law, the statement said.

His case has been handed over to prosecutors, it said.

Huang was removed from his post of SPC vice president on Oct. 28 last year by Chinese lawmakers at a bi-monthly legislative session.

Huang, now 51, is a native of south China's Guangdong Province. He became SPC vice-president in 2002.

"Huang Songyou is the first chief judge to have been removed for suspected law and discipline violations in the history of the SPC," Shen Deyong, executive vice president of the supreme court, told Xinhua in March.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2009)