Former senior legislator pleads guilty to bribery

Wang Sanyun, former vice-chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, pleaded guilty to taking bribes of 66.8 million yuan ($9.6 million), a court in Henan province said on Thursday.

Between 1993 and 2017, Wang made use of his work positions as secretary of the Communist Party of China committee of Guizhou province's Liupanshui city, deputy secretary of Guizhou's CPC committee, governor of Anhui province and secretary of the CPC committee of Gansu province to illegally provide aid to other departments and individuals in construction projects and promotions in return for bribes, according to the Zhengzhou Intermediate People's Court.

"The defendant committed the crime of taking bribes under the Criminal Law, and should be criminally blamed," the prosecutor told the court.

More than 70 people, including NPC deputies and media representatives, attended the public hearing of the case on Thursday.

The judgment will be announced at a later date.

Wang was charged with taking bribes by the Supreme People's Procuratorate in August. He was expelled by the Party and dismissed from public office in September last year.

Wang, 65, began his career as a teacher in Guizhou province in December 1968. In April 2017, he was named vice-chairman of the 12th NPC's Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee.