Former Hainan official sentenced to life imprisonment

Wang Yong, a former senior political advisor of Hainan province, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes worth about 90.5 million yuan ($14.1 million) on Thursday.

Wang, former deputy head of the Hainan Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was also deprived of political rights for life, and all of his personal property will be confiscated, the Guilin Intermediate People's Court in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region said.

His illegal gains will be recovered and turned over to the State treasury, and Wang said he would not appeal.

From 2000 to 2014, Wang took advantage of his positions while working in Hainan, including as Party chief of Chengmai county, head of the provincial transportation department and mayor of Sanya, to help individuals and companies in project approval and contracting and career promotions. He received money and properties totaling 90.5 million yuan in return.

The court said Wang committed the crime of taking bribes to a particularly large degree, but gave him a light punishment due to the fact he voluntarily confessed his guilt and returned the money.

Wang, born in 1957, joined the Party in 1976 and became Party chief of Chengmai county in 2000. He became deputy head of the CPPCC Hainan Committee in 2016. He was put under investigation in July 2020.

The court publicly heard Wang's case in May, and Wang confessed and pleaded guilty in court.