Ex-Party chief of Hohhot sentenced

Yun Guangzhong, a former senior official in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for taking bribes on Tuesday and fined 5.5 million yuan ($822,220), a court in Liaoning province said.

The bribes and related interests have been seized and turned over to the State treasury, a statement released by the Dalian Intermediate People's Court said.

It said Yun agreed with the sentence and would not appeal to a higher court.

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

In return, he accepted money and gifts worth more than 94.32 million yuan, the court said.

Yun's behavior constituted the crime of bribery, and the amount of bribes he accepted was "extremely large", it said.

"But given that he pleaded guilty to the charge, provided facts about the crimes of others that judicial officials were unaware of, and that all of the illicit gains have been seized, we gave him a lenient punishment," the court said.

Yun, 60, was placed under investigation for suspected violations of Party discipline and State laws in June last year. Six months later, he was expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office.

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

Yun, 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 Inner Mongolia Committee of the CPC and secretary of the Party's Hohhot Committee in 2016.