Former senior Jiangsu legislator pleads guilty to bribery, abuse of power

Liu Handong, a former senior legislator in Jiangsu province, pleaded guilty to taking bribes, abusing power, and illegal trade of land-use rights while standing trial in Xiangyang, Hubei province, on Thursday.

According to an indictment provided by prosecutors, Liu, former vice-chairman of the standing committee of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, took undue advantage of his various positions from 1999 to 2023 and abused his power to seek profits for others, illegally accepting bribes worth more than 245 million yuan ($34.4 million) in return.

He also abused his power in matters such as the transfer of land-use rights and the exemption of land value-added tax, resulting in significant losses for public assets and state interests from 2001 to 2017 when he worked in Jiangpu county, Nanjing city and the Department of Finance of Jiangsu, the prosecutors said.

They added that Liu was also involved in illegal trade of land-use rights in 2003.

The prosecutors submitted evidence to the Xiangyang Intermediate People's Court, saying that Li should be held criminally liable for taking bribes, abusing power, and illegal trade of land-use rights. During the trial, he confessed to the crime in his final statement.

The verdict will be announced at a later date, the court said. More than 20 people, including national lawmakers and political advisers, attended the hearing.

cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn