Former Hebei legislator sentenced for bribery

Zhang Jiehui, a former senior legislator in North China's Hebei province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes worth over 127 million yuan ($18.12 million) at a local court on Friday.

His personal property of 6 million yuan was confiscated, and all of his illicit gains will be retrieved, the Taiyuan Intermediate People's Court of North China's Shanxi province said in a verdict.

From 2001 to 2017, Zhang took advantage of his position to help others in obtaining loans, gaining approval for project land use and job promotion, illegally accepting money and property in return amounting to 127.08 million yuan, the court said.

During the period, his positions included mayor of Anshan in Liaoning province, vice-governor of Hebei province and deputy head of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress.

Zhang was given a mitigated punishment in accordance with the law because he confessed his crime and provided clues for the investigation of other cases, the court said.