Former ICBC branch head sentenced for bribery

Gu Guoming, former Party secretary and president of the State-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's Shanghai branch, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes amounting to 136 million yuan ($19.39 million).

The verdict, which also saw Gu's political rights removed, personal property confiscated and illegal proceeds retrieved, was announced on Thursday by the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Gu was investigated by the country's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in June last year and detained for criminal offences by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau in November. He was approved for arrest in December.

The investigation showed Gu took advantage of his job position to provide help for multiple individuals and corporate clients in loans and financing. He also received benefits in return for helping people secure projects between 2005 and 2019, according to the court.

During the court hearing on July 6, prosecutors also noted Gu's confession during the investigation, not only to the 5.86 million yuan in bribes found by the police but also another 131 million yuan that had yet to be discovered.

The sentence came as a lenient punishment considering Gu's guilty plea, cases of attempted bribery and retrieval of the illegal proceeds, the court said.

Li Yange contributed to this story.