Former official sentenced to life imprisonment for graft

NANJING -- A former Party secretary and executive vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) was sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes by a local court in Jiangsu province on Tuesday.

Shen Weichen was also deprived of his political rights for life and all his personal assets were confiscated, according to a statement from Changzhou City Intermediate People's Court, Jiangsu province.

The ill-gotten gains were turned over to the state, the court ruling said.

Shen accepted bribes amounting 95.42 million yuan (around $14.24 million) by taking advantage of his position to seek profits for others in terms of business deals, promotions and position adjustment between 1992 and 2014, it said.

The court ruling said Shen was issued a lesser punishment as he confessed his crimes and voluntarily turned over his illicit gains.

Shen served as Party chief of Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi province and deputy head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's publicity department before he assumed his posts at the CAST.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced an investigation into Shen in April 2014 and he stood trial in January.

As China's largest national organization for science and technology employees, CAST maintains close ties with millions of Chinese scientists, engineers and other people working in the fields, according to its website.