Former provincial legislator receives life sentence for bribery

TIANJIN - Yang Chongyong, a former senior legislator of North China's Hebei province, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for taking bribes of over 206 million yuan (29.95 million US dollars) by the Second Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin Municipality.

Yang, former deputy director of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, was also deprived of his political rights for life, and all his personal property was confiscated, according to the verdict.

His illegal gains and the yields generated will be retrieved and turned over to the national treasury.

The court found that Yang took advantage of his posts, as a standing committee member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hebei Provincial Committee and vice governor of Hebei, to help others with project construction, land use rights, forming business partnerships, establishing companies, as well as job adjustments and promotions between 2008 and 2016.

In return he accepted and solicited money and property, personally or through others, according to the court.

Yang was given a lenient punishment as he confessed, provided additional information about his crimes and important evidence in other cases, showed repentance and voluntarily surrendered his illicit gains, most of which have been recovered, the court said.