Beijing, Jan 26 (IANS): A former lawmaker from northeast China's Heilongjiang province has been arrested following a rape accusation from a female journalist, authorities said.

An investigation by the disciplinary watchdog showed that Sun Dejiang had embezzled public money, defrauded pension funds and maintained "improper relationships" with several women, reported Xinhua citing a statement issued Friday by the publicity department of the city of Shuangcheng.

Sun was initially exposed Nov 23 in a microblog post written by Wang Dechun, a journalist who claimed that Sun had forced her into maintaining an adulterous relationship with him.

Wang said Sun forced her to have sex with him even when she was seven months pregnant.
She also accused him of abusing his power for personal gain.

The arrest of Sun, who is also former general manager of the Shuangcheng City Industry Corporation, was approved Monday.

Sun was suspended from his position as a deputy to Shuangcheng municipal People's Congress Dec 1 and removed from his position in the Shuangcheng City Industry Corporation Dec 3.

Sun is one of several officials who have been removed from their posts as a result of sex scandals in recent months.

Yi Junqing, director of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was removed from his post for maintaining an "improper lifestyle" earlier this month after an online post detailing his alleged affair with a woman who claimed to be his former mistress went viral on the internet.