China

Corrupt official gets suspended death sentence

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-10 07:58

CHENGDU - Huang Yao, the former chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Thursday for taking bribes.

The Intermediate People's Court of Chengdu, in Southwest China's Sichuan province, made the ruling in a first-instant trial.

The court heard that between September 1993 and early 2009 Huang, 62, abused his positions as Party chief of the Qianxinan Buyi-Miao autonomous prefecture, deputy secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and chairman of the CPPCC Guizhou Provincial Committee.

In return for more than 9.54 million yuan ($1.43 million) in bribes, Huang illegally assisted people in business, land planning and job promotions, the court was told.

The court said the bribes Huang took were "enormous" and that his offenses were "extremely serious", but since he had cooperated with investigators, confessed to all his crimes and returned all of his illegal gains, he was given a suspended death sentence.

Apart from sentencing Huang to death with a probation, the court also confiscated all of his personal property.

Huang was reportedly last seen attending a local government meeting on Oct 22.

On Nov 5, the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee confirmed that Huang was under investigation by the Party discipline inspection authority.

Huang allegedly had several mistresses, according to earlier reports citing unidentified sources close to the local law enforcement authorities.

It is not yet known whether Huang will appeal.

Xinhua