Former senior official of Henan charged taking bribes

Gan Rongkun, a former senior official of Central China's Henan province, was charged with taking bribes totaling over 166 million yuan ($23.8 million), and he pleaded guilty at the court on Thursday.

Changzhou Intermediate People's Court, Jiangsu province, publicly heard the Gan's case. Gan, who used to be a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Henan Provincial Committee, and secretary of the political and legal affairs commission of Henan Provincial Party Committee, made a final statement at the court. The sentence will be issued later.

Prosecutors said that from 1999 to 2021, Gan made use of different positions, including the head of the Beijing Customs District, vice-governor of Hubei province, secretaries of the political and legal affairs commission of Heilongjiang and Henan provincial Party committees, helping others in obtaining projects, running businesses and handling cases. In return, he received over 166 million yuan.

Gan, 60, a native of Jiangxi province, began working in 1983 and joined the Party in 1996. He served as the head of Beijing Customs District from 2007 to 2013, as worked as vice-governor of Hubei province from 2013 to 2016. He became the secretary of the political and legal affairs commission of the Henan Provincial Party Committee in September 2019.

Gan was put under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission in June 2021. He was expelled from the Party and removed from his post half a year later.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate approved the arrest of Gan in late December last year. Changzhou's Procuratorate was designated to examine the case and initiated a lawsuit against him in February.