High-level official gets 10-year sentence for bribery

(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated : 2019-11-13

Li Shixiang, former vice chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking bribes by a court in Northeast China's Jilin province on Nov 12.

The Changchun Intermediate People's Court also ordered Li to pay a fine of 6 million yuan ($856,763), adding all properties gained from the bribery would be turned over to the national treasury.

Li agreed with the ruling and said he would not appeal to a higher court.

From 2001 to 2013, Li used his power in multiple positions in Beijing, including as Party chief of Chaoyang district and vice-mayor of the capital, to help relevant departments and individuals in land acquisition, construction projects, house demolition and job promotions, and also colluded with other government employees to help others in financing, according to the ruling.

In return, he received bribery worth more than 88.19 million yuan, per the ruling.

Li committed the crime of bribery and deserved harsh punishment, as the amount of bribes taken was huge, the court said.

"But given that he pleaded guilty, reported crimes of others and turned over his illicit gains, we penalized him leniently," the court added.

Li, a Beijing native, was born in 1958 and started his career in August 1978 as a middle school teacher in the city's Tongzhou district.

He was later admitted to the district's Party committee and then moved up through the ranks.

He was appointed Party chief of Chaoyang district in 2003 and three years later was promoted to member of the standing committee of the Beijing Party committee, the city's top authority.

In July 2012, he was named executive vice-mayor of Beijing. In January 2017, he became vice-chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

In September last year, he was placed under investigation by the Party's anti-corruption watchdog for alleged violations of discipline and law. In February, he was expelled from the Party.