Former Hohhot Party chief gets 14 years for accepting bribes

Yun Guangzhong, former Party chief of Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for taking bribes on Tuesday, a court in Northeast China's Liaoning province said. He was also fined 5.5 million yuan ($822,220).

His illegal gains have been seized and turned over to the State treasury, according to a statement by the Dalian Intermediate People's Court.

It said Yun would not appeal to a higher court.

From 2005 to 2018, Yun took advantage of his various positions, including vice-chairman of the Inner Mongolia regional government and Party chief of Hohhot, to help some individuals and departments in business operations and job promotions, it said.

In return, he accepted money and gifts worth more than 94.32 million yuan, it added.

Yun's behavior constituted the crime of bribery and the amount of bribes he accepted was "extremely large", the court said in the statement. "But given that he pleaded guilty to the charge, provided clues to others' crimes that judicial officials did not know and all of the illicit gains have been seized, we gave him a lenient punishment."

Yun was placed under investigation for suspected violations of disciplines and laws in June last year, and was expelled from the CPC and dismissed from public office six months later.

In July, when he stood trial in court, he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

Yun, 60, a native of Inner Mongolia, began his career in a regional public security bureau in 1977. Two years later, he joined the CPC.

He became a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee of Inner Mongolia and Party chief of Hohhot in 2016.