Yang Fulin charged in first trial

Yang Fulin, former deputy commander of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, was charged in his first trial held on Thursday for taking bribes worth about 30.5 million yuan ($4.38 million).

Yang pleaded guilty and made a final statement at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Shandong Province. The court will issue the sentence later.

Prosecutors accused him of making use of former posts in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to help others in project contracting, promotion, case handling and other matters from 2001 to 2020.

In return, he, directly or through their relatives, accepted money and property equivalent to about 30.49 million yuan.

Yang, 65，a native of Gansu province, began to work in 1976 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1982. He had worked in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for a long time and served as the deputy commander from 2015 to 2017.

Yang was placed under discipline review and investigation in July 2021. Five months later, he was expelled from the Party and his cases and stolen money were transferred to procuratorial organs for prosecution.