Former Hainan court official given 18 years for multiple crimes

HAIKOU -- Zhang Jiahui, former vice president of the Hainan Provincial Higher People's Court, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday for bribery, fraud and perverting the law while making judgements in administrative trials.

The First Intermediate People's Court of Hainan has imposed a fine of 4 million yuan (about $610,000) and ordered Zhang to turn over all her illicit gains, including any interest accrued, to the state treasury.

Zhang took advantage of her various positions to seek benefits for others, accepting bribes worth more than 43.7 million yuan from 2006 to 2019, and abused her power in administrative trials to help a company controlled by her husband Liu Yuansheng to avoid paying fees totaling more than 46.2 million yuan between 2015 and 2016, according to the verdict.

Along with her husband, she also committed fraud and cheated individuals out of property and money worth more than 1.43 million yuan in 2001.

The court said Zhang was given a lenient punishment as she had confessed, provided additional information about her crimes, and pled guilty.