Harbin official receives life sentence for bribery

Jiang Guowen, former chairman and Party secretary of the Harbin Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes, according to a report by China Central Television on Tuesday.

At a public trial which took place at Hulunbuir Intermediate People's Court in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Tuesday, the court also deprived Jiang of political rights for life and confiscated all his personal property. What he gained from his crimes was also turned over to the state treasury.

According to the court, from 2005 to 2019 Jiang took advantage of his positions to seek benefits for companies and individuals in project contracting, project promotion, case execution and work promotion.

In return, he received money and property totaling 103.9 million yuan ($14.2 million).

The court said the amount was large and had a bad influence on public perception.

However, as Jiang confessed to his crimes, pleaded guilty, showed remorse, actively returned his illegal gains and the proceeds have been fully returned, he was given a lenient punishment.

Jiang was born in 1957 in Keshan county of Heilongjiang and joined the workforce in 1975. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1980.

He served as deputy secretary-general of the Heilongjiang provincial government, a member of the Standing Committee of CPC Harbin Municipal Committee, Party secretary of the Harbin Commission for Discipline Inspection, deputy Party secretary of CPC Harbin Municipal Committee, chairman and Party secretary of Harbin city's Committee of CPPCC as well as other positions.

He served as chairman and Party secretary of Harbin's CPPCC Committee from January 2016 to December 2019.