Nanjing former official gets death sentence for bribery, other offenses

Yang Youlin, former executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing economic and technological development zone in East China's Jiangsu province, was sentenced to death on Monday by the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court after being convicted of multiple crimes, including accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan ($324 million) in bribes.

The court sentenced Yang to death for accepting bribes, deprived him of his political rights for life and ordered the confiscation of all his personal assets.

He was also sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison and fined 1 million yuan for embezzlement, 11 years in prison and a 1 million yuan fine for offering bribes, five years for misappropriation of public funds, four years for abuse of power, and six months in prison plus a 100,000 yuan fine for money laundering.

Combining all the sentences, the court imposed the death penalty. His illegal gains and related proceeds were ordered to be confiscated and turned over to the State treasury, according to the ruling.

The court said that from 1993 to 2023, Yang exploited a series of positions in Nanjing, including as an adviser to the Nanjing Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone and executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing development zone, to seek benefits for others in project contracting, business operations, land transfers and capital turnover in exchange for bribes totaling more than 2.2 billion yuan.

From 2014 to 2016, while serving as executive deputy director of the administrative committee of the Nanjing development zone, Yang colluded with others to embezzle 12 million yuan in public funds, the court said. Between 2005 and 2023, he offered more than 25 million yuan in bribes to officials to obtain improper advantages.

From 2001 to 2002, while serving as director of the construction bureau in Jiangning district, Yang twice misappropriated a total of 15 million yuan from State-owned enterprise funds under the bureau for use in 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 projects, causing serious adverse social effects. He also illegally rebated land transfer fees, resulting in State financial losses of 23 million yuan.

In addition, Yang concealed and disguised 1 million yuan in criminal proceeds from bribery by lending the money to a company under his control, the court said.

The court said Yang's crimes warranted the death penalty because the amount of bribes he accepted was "extremely large", the circumstances were "extremely serious", and the losses caused to the country and the people were "extremely huge".

Although Yang reported criminal activities committed by others, which was verified as meritorious service, the Changzhou Intermediate People's Court said the nature, circumstances and social harm of his bribery offenses meant such service did not justify a more lenient sentence.

The case was publicly heard on March 18 and April 28. Prosecutors and Yang's defense lawyers presented evidence and arguments during the hearings, which were attended by more than 30 people.

Public records show that the 69-year-old Nanjing native began his career at a local engine plant in October 1976.

He became head of the housing and urban-rural development bureau in Jiangning district in 2000, deputy head of the district's development zone administrative committee in 2002, executive deputy director of the Nanjing development zone administrative committee in 2012, and chairman of the Nanjing Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Company in June 2016.

Under Chinese law, a death sentence handed down by a lower court must be reviewed and approved by the Supreme People's Court before it can be carried out.