Former CNOOC executive sentenced to 14 years for bribery

Li Yong, former general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 3 million yuan ($417,345) for bribery, a court in Hubei province announced on Tuesday.

The Xiangyang Intermediate People's Court said Li's illicit gains and related interest would be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury.

According to the court, Li took advantage of various positions at the state-owned energy giant between 1996 and 2023 to seek benefits for certain enterprises and individuals in matters such as business representation and product sales. In return, he accepted bribes totaling more than 67.94 million yuan.

The court said the amount was "extremely large" and warranted severe punishment. However, it showed leniency because Li confessed to the crime, voluntarily reported previously undiscovered bribes, exposed the criminal acts of others and actively returned his illicit gains.

Public records show Li, 62, began working at the company in 1984 and became general manager in 2020. He retired in 2023.

He was placed under disciplinary and supervisory investigation in March this year and expelled from the Communist Party of China in September. He was indicted in February and stood trial in April.