Former Shenyang top legislator pleads guilty for bribery

Fu Zhongwei, the former top legislator of Shenyang, Liaoning province, pleaded guilty to taking bribes totaling about 64.7 million yuan ($8.96 million) in a trial held by the Intermediate People's Court of Harbin, Heilongjiang, on Friday.

During the trial, Fu, the former chairman of the standing committee of the Shenyang municipal people's congress, confessed to his crimes and made a final statement in court. The verdict will be released at a later date.

Prosecutors from the Harbin People's Procuratorate accused Fu of utilizing his positions, including directors of the Liaoning provincial audit department and finance department, Party chief of Panjin city, and chairman of the standing committee of the Shenyang municipal people's congress, to provide assistance to certain companies and individuals in matters such as enterprise operation, case handling, and job transfers.

In return, he accepted money and property from others totaling over 64.7 million yuan. The procuratorial organ recommended holding Fu criminally liable for accepting bribes.

Fu, 60, a native of Liaoning, joined the Communist Party of China in 1984 and began working in 1986. He served in Liaoning from 1988 until November 2022 when he came under investigation.

Fu previously held positions as the head of the Liaoning provincial audit department in 2015 and became the head of the Liaoning provincial finance department in 2016. He was appointed Party chief of Panjin in February 2018. In December 2020, he was elected chairman of the standing committee of the Shenyang municipal people's congress.

Fu was expelled from the Party and removed from his public posts in June 2023, and arrested for prosecution in July. In October 2023, prosecutors in Harbin initiated public charges against him.