Former Sichuan official gets 16 years for bribery and firearms possession

Yang Kening, a former senior political advisor in Sichuan province, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined 4 million yuan ($551,788) on Monday for charges including bribery and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The intermediate people's court of Nantong in Jiangsu province handed down a 15-year prison sentence and a 4 million yuan fine to Yang for bribery, along with a two-year prison term for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The total sentence imposed was 16 years in prison with a 4 million yuan fine.

During the trial, it was revealed that between 2003 and 2023, Yang took advantage of his various positions in Sichuan, including chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, head of the prefecture and vice-chairman of the CPPCC Sichuan provincial committee, to seek profits for others and accepted a particularly large amount of property from others in return, accumulating over 72.23 million yuan in illicit gains.

From 2008 to 2010, Yang illegally acquired firearms and ammunition, storing them at his residence, which was deemed a severe offense, according to the court.