Ex-deputy of watchdog pleads guilty to graft

Former senior official abused position to rake in bribes worth 123m yuan, court says

Wei Chuanzhong, the former deputy head of China's quality watchdog, pleaded guilty on Friday to bribery charges and serious violations of Party discipline and laws.

Wei, 66, who served as deputy director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine, stood trial in the Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court, Hunan province.

He was found to have sought benefits from his post from 2001 to 2019. The abuse of his position included asking for bribes for issuing licenses for industrial products and project bids. The bribes he took totaled more than 123 million yuan ($18 million), the court said.

Wei was prosecuted for criminal liability by the Chenzhou procuratorate and pleaded guilty.

The verdict is expected later.

Wei was expelled from the Communist Party of China in September for serious violations of its discipline and laws, according to a release by the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.