Corrupt civil servant extradited from Bulgaria jailed for 6 years

Yao Jinqi, a "most-wanted" fugitive who fled overseas for 13 years, has been sentenced to six years in prison for taking more than 52 million yuan ($7.5 million) in bribes, Shaoxing Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang province announced on Thursday.

Yao, former deputy head of the province's Xinchang county, was also fined 3 million yuan, and his illicit gains and interest earned on them were also seized, the court said in its ruling.

Yao, who was extradited from Bulgaria in November 2018, said he agreed with the conviction and sentence and would not appeal to a higher court.

The case was the first successful extradition following the establishment of the National Supervision Commission in March 2018, and Yao was also the first former civil servant to be extradited to China from a European Union member state.

The court said it heard the case in a timely and transparent manner based on the facts of Yao's offense as well as the Chinese Criminal Law, the Chinese Criminal Procedure Law, the extradition treaty between China and Bulgaria, and international conventions, fully protecting Yao's legitimate rights, including to be informed and defend oneself, and giving him humane treatment.

More than 100 people, including deputies to the National People's Congress and journalists, attended the previous hearings and Thursday's ruling announcement.