Society

Former political advisor in E China gets life sentence

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-23 14:12

HANGHZOU: A former senior provincial political advisor in east China's Zhejiang Province was sentenced to life in jail on Friday for bribery and power abuse.

Dai Beijun, chairman of the Human Resources and Environment Committee of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was also deprived of political rights for life, according to a verdict handed down by a first instance court in Hangzhou city.

Dai was convicted of taking bribes of more than 4 million yuan ($585,823) and abusing power during 1996 and 2008 when he served as principal leader of different provincial government departments.

The court said during 2006 to 2007 when Dai served as the provincial environmental bureau chief, he ordered all industrial polluters in the province to use pollutant discharge monitoring devices produced only by one company. The company earned a huge profit from the market monopoly.

Local media reports said that the company was controlled by Dai's mistress Zhang Yan, who was arrested during the investigation into Dai's case.

The court said the life sentence was handed down with leniency, based on Dai's cooperative attitude during the investigation.