Former finance vice-minister gets 15 years for graft

Zhang Shaochun, a former vice-minister of finance, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Beijing court on Monday for taking bribes of about 67 million yuan ($9.7 million).

Zhang, 61, was also fined 6 million yuan for the same charge, according to a judgment announced by the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court.

The bribes accepted by Zhang, as well as related profits, would be turned over to the State treasury, the court ruled.

The court found Zhang took advantage of various work positions, such as deputy director of the ministry's general office, assistant minister and vice-minister of finance, to take bribes from related departments and individuals from 1995 to 2018.

In return, Zhang aided them in business operations, job promotions and their children's education, it said.

"The defendant's behavior has constituted the crime of bribery, but given that he pleaded guilty to his offense and turned over the bribes with a positive attitude, we leniently penalized him," the court said in a statement.

It was not confirmed whether Zhang would appeal to a higher court.

Zhang, a native of Liaoning province, graduated from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics and started his career as a secretary in the ministry's general office in 1988. He spent about 20 years in the ministry.

Zhang was named vice-minister of finance in 2006 until he was dismissed from the position in May last year, when he was investigated by the country's anti-corruption watchdog for serious disciplinary violations.

In November 2018, Beijing prosecutors charged him with bribery and a month later his case was publicly heard at the court.