HONG KONG, Sept 4 (AFP) - Former politburo member and Beijing party secretary Chen Xitong is unlikely to stand trial but will soon be expelled from the Communist Party over his alleged role in the biggest corruption scandal in recent Chinese history, a report said Thursday.Chen's case is expected to be resolved at the Communist Party's four-day politburo meeting starting Saturday, with the possibilty of his being expelled from the party before the 15th party's congress convenes on September 12, the independent Chinese-language daily Ming Pao said.
Chen was dismissed from his post after a host of Beijing officials and associates came under investigation for their parts to the 1995 graft scandal that rocked Beijing and prompted the suicide of vice mayor Wang Baosen.
The Chen Xitong case has led to a series of prosecutions, including the jailing of his son, Chen Xiaotong, for 12 years in June for accepting bribes and embezzling the public in the 2.2 billion dollar graft scandal.
Many Chinese were watching the Chen case as a barometer of Beijing's will to fight rampant corruption. However, sources cited by Ming Pao said that it was unlikely that Chen would undergo trial.
The sources cited Wei Jianxing, a party secretriat member, as telling a recent meeting of cadres in Beijing that the cases of Chen and Wang should be "dealt with separately."
Wei pointed out at the meeting that "Chen's case is a serious problem" while the case of Wang involved "breaking the law."
Earlier press report said that Chen was unlikely to be charged by prosecutors because there was not sufficient evidence to back a criminal charge.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin has declared in January he was "horrified" by growing corruption within party ranks that is seen to be undermining public support.
The corruption scandal, which according to the official Chinese press has extended to 45 people, involved the all-powerful Capital Iron and Steel Works and a collapsed pyramid investment scheme in Wuxi.
Zhou Beifang, son of the head of the steel giant, was convicted last November of graft involving 1.2 million dollars.
At the same trial four Beijing officials, including Chen's private secretary, were given sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment.
However, detail of the crimes has not been made public, and no action has been brought against Chen, who is believed to be under house arrest and refusing to cooperate with investigators.