Former official of Nanjing development zone sentenced to death

Yang Youlin, the former executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing Development Zone in East China's Jiangsu province, was sentenced to death on Monday by the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court for multiple crimes. Yang was convicted of accepting bribes totaling over 2.2 billion yuan ($324 million). He was also deprived of political rights for life, and all his personal assets were confiscated.

Additionally, the court sentenced Yang to 11 years and six months in prison, along with a fine of 1 million yuan, for embezzlement. He received an 11-year imprisonment and an additional 1 million yuan fine for offering bribes. Yang was also sentenced to five years in prison for misappropriation of public funds, four years for abuse of power, and a six-month sentence with a 100,000 yuan fine for money laundering.

The court combined all of Yang's sentences and ultimately imposed the death penalty, with deprivation of his political rights for life and confiscation of all his personal assets. His illicit gains and related interests were seized and ordered to be turned over to the State treasury, according to the ruling.

The court released a statement detailing Yang's offenses, revealing that from 1993 to 2023, he exploited his positions in Nanjing, including as an adviser of the Nanjing Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone and deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing Development Zone, to seek benefits for other individuals and departments in various matters, such as project contracting, business operations, land transfers, and capital turnover, accepting bribes worth more than 2.21 billion yuan in return.

From 2014 to 2016, Yang, while serving as executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing Development Zone, misappropriated public funds totaling 12 million yuan in collaboration with others. Between 2005 and 2023, Yang offered bribes of more than 25 million yuan to officials to secure undue advantages. From 2001 to 2002, Yang, taking advantage of his position as director of the construction bureau in Jiangning district, on two occasions misappropriated 15 million yuan from the funds of State-owned enterprises under the bureau and used the money for others' business operations.

From 2003 to 2009, while serving as director of the district's construction bureau and deputy head of the administrative committee of the district's development zone, Yang abused his power by unlawfully arranging land expropriation, demolition, and construction, causing serious negative social effects. He also illegally rebated land transfer fees, resulting in a State financial loss of 23 million yuan. Additionally, Yang, by lending funds to a company under his control, concealed and disguised the criminal proceeds of bribery amounting to 1 million yuan.

The court stated that Yang's behavior constituted the crimes of bribe acceptance, embezzlement, bribe offering, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power, and money laundering. He was sentenced to death because the amount of bribes he took was "extremely large", the circumstances of his offenses were "extremely serious", and the losses he caused to the country and the people were "extremely huge".

The court noted that although Yang reported others' criminal conduct, which was verified as meritorious performance, in light of the facts, nature, circumstances, and social harmfulness of his bribery offenses, such meritorious performance did not justify a lenient sentence.

The case was publicly heard on March 18 and April 28, respectively. During the trials, attended by more than 30 individuals, prosecutors and Yang's lawyers exchanged evidence and were given the opportunity to share their opinions.

Public records show that the 69-year-old native of Nanjing started his career at an engine plant in his hometown in October 1976. In 2000, he became head of the housing and urban-rural development bureau in Jiangning district. Two years later, he served as deputy head of the administrative committee of the district's development zone, as well as the general manager of the zone's company. In 2012, he took the position of executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing Development Zone. In June 2016, he became chairman of the Nanjing Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Company.

In China, a death sentence issued by lower courts must be submitted to the Supreme People's Court, the country's highest court, for review. If the top court approves, the penalty can be carried out.