Chinese Politician Sentenced To De@th Over $37.8m Bribery Scandal

A Chinese politician has been given a death sentence due to a $37.8M bribery scandal.

Wang Yong, previously the vice-chairman of the Xizang autonomous region’s government, was handed a suspended death sentence for accepting bribes, as declared by a court in Hunan province.

The Chenzhou Intermediate People’s Court issued Wang a death sentence for bribery with a two-year reprieve. The court stripped him of his political rights for life and mandated the seizure of all his personal assets. All of Wang’s illicit gains and related interests will be transferred to the State treasury.

The court stated that between 2007 and 2023, Wang leveraged his various roles, including as director of the policy and regulations department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China Southwest Regional Administration, Party secretary, and director of the Civil Aviation Safety Supervision Bureau of Guizhou province, and Party secretary and chairman of Guizhou Airport Group, to secure benefits for organizations and individuals in project contracts and other matters.

In exchange, he accepted bribes totaling more than 271 million yuan ($37.8 million).

The court noted that Wang’s crimes were extremely grave, involving an “extreme” amount of bribes, and causing substantial harm to public assets and the interests of the nation and its people.

Wang confessed to his offenses, pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and actively returned his illegal gains, which have been fully recovered, according to the court. These factors contributed to a more lenient punishment.

Wang’s trial was held publicly on May 15, with over 40 individuals present. Prosecutors presented evidence, and Wang admitted guilt and delivered a final statement in court.

In China, a suspended death sentence is typically converted to life imprisonment after two years if the inmate commits no additional crimes. The term can be further reduced depending on the inmate’s behavior.

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Nnamdi Okoli