Former Shaanxi Provincial Party Secretary (China) sentenced to suspended death for corruption
On July 31, a Chinese court sentenced former Shaanxi Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Zhengyong to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption.
According to the public verdict of the No. 1 Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin City announced on July 31, former Vice Chairman of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) Internal Affairs and Judiciary Committee, former Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee Zhao Zhengyong was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption.
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| Mr. Zhao Zhengyong, former Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee, in court. Photo: Court provided. |
The court's ruling also stated that the official would be stripped of all political rights and all his personal assets would be confiscated. After serving two years of his sentence and having his sentence reduced to life imprisonment according to the law, Mr. Trieu Chinh Vinh would not be allowed to have his sentence reduced or be released. The defendant expressed his compliance with the ruling and did not file an appeal.
According to the court's conclusion, from 2003 to 2018, due to holding many important positions, this official took advantage of his position and power for personal gain, supported units and individuals in contracting projects, mobilizing and promoting..., personally or with his wife, received bribes in cash and goods amounting to 717 million yuan (more than 100 million USD), of which more than 290 million yuan was not actually received.
The court held that the official's actions constituted a crime with an extremely large amount of bribery, extremely serious circumstances, causing great damage to the state and people. However, because part of the cash and items had not been received, the defendant proactively confessed, pleaded guilty, and repented, so the court considered reducing the sentence.
Zhao Zhengyong is the most corrupt ministerial-level official to have been caught to date and the second most corrupt among all corrupt officials in China.
The previous record belonged to Mr. Xing Yun, former Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (equivalent to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Congress) with a bribe amount of 449 million yuan (about 64 million USD)./.