BEIJING, May 15 -- Lu Wucheng, a former senior legislator of northwest China's Gansu Province has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office following an internal graft investigation, the CPC's disciplinary watchdog said Friday.

According to a statement issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), Lu was found to have accepted monetary gifts and taken part in business activities.

He also took advantage of his post to seek profits for others in cadre selection and business operations and accepted huge bribes, the statement said. Bribery is a crime according to Chinese law.

Lu, a former deputy head of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress, was placed under investigation for graft, the CPC's discipline agency announced on Jan. 23.