Former engineering academician sentenced to ten years in prison

CHANGCHUN -- A former academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering was sentenced to ten years in prison for embezzlement, according to the verdict made by a court in northeast China's Jilin Province after a second trial on Tuesday.

Li Ning was handed a 12-year prison sentence and fined 3 million yuan (about $460,000) in the first trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Songyuan in January. Li filed an appeal to the Jilin Provincial Higher People's Court afterward.

He pled guilty, confessed, and appealed for a lenient punishment in the second trial.

The original verdict was found based on clear facts and substantial evidence in the legal trial procedure, according to the Jilin Provincial Higher People's Court.

Taking the procuratorate's advice on the measurement of punishment, the court brought in the new verdict, reducing the fine to 2.5 million yuan and shortening his imprisonment to ten years.

Li had allegedly used his position in charge of managing multiple funds for national scientific research projects to embezzle more than 34.1 million yuan from 2008 to 2012, which he transferred to invest in his shareholding and holding companies, according to the original verdict.